Bill Text: HI HB239 | 2024 | Regular Session | Amended

Hawaii House Bill 239

Amended

Bill Title: Relating To Clean Energy.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 10-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2023-12-11 - Carried over to 2024 Regular Session. [HB239 Detail]

Download: Hawaii-2024-HB239-Amended.html

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.B. NO.	239
THIRTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2023		H.D. 1
STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

RELATING TO CLEAN ENERGY.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

SECTION 1. The legislature finds that climate change is occurring as a result of human activity, particularly the burning of fossil fuels and the concomitant release of carbon dioxide. The continued burning of fossil fuels can cause irreparable harm to the State and the planet. Thirty-four per cent of Hawaii's coastlines are vulnerable to intensifying coastal hazards resulting from accelerating sea level rise, according to a study performed by researchers at the University of Hawaii.

The legislature further finds that according to a report produced by the Hawaii climate change mitigation and adaptation commission, global sea levels could rise more than three feet by 2100, with more recent projections showing this rise occurring as early as 2060. The report also found that over the next thirty to seventy years, approximately six thousand five hundred structures, thirty-eight miles of coastal roads, five hundred fifty cultural sites, and nineteen thousand eight hundred residents statewide will be exposed to chronic flooding, resulting in an estimated $19,000,000,000 in economic loss.

The legislature additionally finds that in response to the growing threat of climate change, the State has set standards and launched initiatives to expand reliance on sustainable and efficient energy, including setting a statewide benchmark of generating one hundred per cent of the State's electricity through renewable resources by 2045 and establishing a goal for the statewide greenhouse gas emissions limit to be at least fifty per cent below 2005 levels by 2030. Meeting these initiatives will require increased employment in clean and renewable energy industries as part of a green new deal for Hawaii's workforce.

Furthermore, the legislature finds that social equity is a foundational principle in the formation of the State's strategy to strengthen climate resilience. According to the United States Climate Resilience Toolkit sponsored by the United States Global Change Research Program, social equity addresses the fair treatment and involvement of all individuals in the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies. Given the disproportionate impact of climate change consequences on marginalized and impoverished populations, working families, and Hawaii's indigenous people, it is important to develop a socially equitable response to the climate crisis that guarantees the well-being of all of Hawaii's residents.

Therefore, the purpose of this Act is to establish social equity as a foundational principle in the State's efforts to strengthen climate resilience by:

(1) Requiring and appropriating funds for the clean energy initiative program to design, implement, and administer a plan to increase jobs aligned with the State's transition to a clean energy economy and strategies for evaluating and supporting a transition to a clean energy economy that advances social equity; and

(2) Authorizing use of the energy security special fund to create jobs that advance the State's goals of achieving greater energy security and adapting to climate change, expand workforce development and training programs for workers transitioning to a clean energy economy, and strengthen social equity in the adoption of clean energy technology.

SECTION 2. Section 196-10.5, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsection (a) to read as follows:

"(a) There is established within the department of business, economic development, and tourism, a Hawaii clean energy initiative program to manage the State's socially equitable transition to a clean energy economy. The clean energy initiative program shall design, implement, and administer activities that include:

(1) Strategic partnerships for the research, development, testing, deployment, and permitting of clean and renewable technologies;

(2) Engineering and economic evaluations of Hawaii's potential for near-term project opportunities for the State's renewable energy resources;

(3) Electric grid reliability and security projects that will enable the integration of a substantial increase of electricity from renewable-energy resources;

(4) A statewide clean energy public education and outreach plan to be developed in coordination with Hawaii's institutions of public education;

(5) Promotion of Hawaii's clean and renewable resources to potential partners and investors;

(6) A plan, to be implemented from 2011 to 2030, to transition the State to a clean energy economy; [~~and~~]

(7) A plan, to be implemented from 2011 to 2030, to assist each county in transitioning to a clean energy economy[.];

(8) A plan, to be implemented from 2023 to 2030, to increase jobs aligned with the State's transition to a clean energy economy, especially those jobs that meet or exceed the self-sufficiency standard established by the department of business, economic development, and tourism pursuant to section 201-3(a)(5); provided that the plan shall include strategies for strengthening workforce development and training programs that assist workers employed in carbon-heavy jobs in obtaining jobs aligned with the State's transition to a clean energy economy that provide an equivalent level of financial security; and

(9) Strategies for evaluating and supporting a transition to a clean energy economy that advances social equity, as defined in section 225P-5(b)."

SECTION 3. Section 201-12.8, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsection (b) to read as follows:

"(b) Subject to legislative appropriation, moneys from the fund may be expended by the Hawaii state energy office for the following purposes and used for no other purposes, except for those set forth in this section:

(1) To support the Hawaii clean energy initiative program and projects that promote and advance dependable and affordable energy, renewable energy, energy efficiency, energy self-sufficiency, and greater energy security and resiliency for the State and public facilities;

(2) To fund, to the extent possible, the climate change mitigation and adaptation commission and the greenhouse gas sequestration task force;

(3) To support achieving the zero emissions clean economy target set forth in section 225P-5;

(4) To fund projects and incentives to promote the adoption of clean transportation technologies, develop clean vehicle charging infrastructure, and upgrade infrastructure to support the development of clean vehicle charging infrastructure; [~~and~~]

(5) To fund, to the extent possible, the duties of the state building code council in section 107-24, as they relate to the development of energy conservation codes[.];

(6) To create jobs that advance the State's goals of achieving greater energy security and adapting to climate change, including jobs that increase clean and renewable energy generation, reduce carbon emissions, expand sustainable agriculture and local food production programs, and advance the State's transition to a clean energy economy; provided that priority shall be given to jobs that meet or exceed the self-sufficiency standard established by the department of business, economic development, and tourism pursuant to section 201-3(a)(5);

(7) To expand workforce development and training programs that assist workers employed in carbon-heavy jobs in obtaining jobs aligned with the State's transition to a clean energy economy that provide an equivalent level of financial security; and

(8) To strengthen social equity, as defined in section 225P-5(b), in the adoption of clean energy technology, transition to a clean energy economy, and development of climate resilience programs for the State."

SECTION 4. Section 225P-5, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsection (b) to read as follows:

"(b) The Hawaii climate change mitigation and adaptation commission shall endeavor to achieve the goals of this section[.] in a manner that promotes social equity. After January 1, 2020, agency plans, decisions, and strategies shall give consideration to the impact of those plans, decisions, and strategies on the State's ability to achieve the goals in this section, weighed appropriately against their primary purpose.

As used in this subsection, "social equity" means fair treatment in the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental and climate-related policies for all individuals and communities, regardless of race, color, ethnicity, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, or income level."

SECTION 5. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $ or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2023-2024 and the same sum or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2024-2025 to be deposited into the energy security special fund.

SECTION 6. There is appropriated out of the energy security special fund the sum of $ or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2023-2024 and the same sum or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2024-2025 for the clean energy initiative program to design, implement, and administer a plan to increase jobs aligned with the State's transition to a socially equitable clean energy economy and strategies for evaluating and supporting a transition to a clean energy economy that advances social equity.

The sums appropriated shall be expended by the department of business, economic development, and tourism for the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 7. Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken. New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 8. This Act shall take effect on June 30, 3000.

Report Title:

Clean Energy Economy Transition; Climate Change Adaptation; Social Equity; Clean Energy Initiative; Energy Security Special Fund; Appropriation

Description:

Requires the clean energy initiative program to design, implement, and administer a plan to increase jobs aligned with the State's transition to a clean energy economy and strategies for evaluating and supporting a transition to a clean energy economy that advances social equity. Authorizes the use of the energy security special fund to create jobs that advance the State's goals of achieving greater energy security and adapting to climate change, expand workforce development and training programs for workers transitioning to a clean energy economy, and strengthen social equity in the adoption of clean energy technology. Appropriates funds. Effective 6/30/3000. (HD1)

The summary description of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.