Bill Text: HI SB1309 | 2021 | Regular Session | Amended

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Bill Title: Relating To Electric Vehicles.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 6-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2021-02-12 - Report adopted; Passed Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referred to WAM. [SB1309 Detail]

Download: Hawaii-2021-SB1309-Amended.html

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THE SENATE	S.B. NO.	1309
THIRTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2021		S.D. 1
STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

 

RELATING TO ELECTRIC VEHICLES.

 

 

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

 

     SECTION 1.  The legislature finds that General Motors Company has announced that it will cease sales of gasoline-powered vehicles by 2035, and numerous other car manufacturers have announced similar plans.  Tesla, Inc., the most valuable auto manufacturer in the world and with the fastest growing auto-sales, sells only electric vehicles.  Electric vehicles are already cheaper to operate and maintain than gasoline-powered vehicles. Embracing electric vehicles will lower the cost of living for residents.

     The legislature further finds that nearly half of Hawaii's residents live in multi-unit dwellings and apartment buildings in which electric vehicle charging infrastructure is not currently available.  Retrofitting these buildings will cost many thousands of dollars and take many years.  As the sales of gasoline-powered vehicles quickly comes to an end, Hawaii must facilitate the installation of electric vehicle charging infrastructure, or many residents will be left behind, unable to charge electric vehicles, unable to commute, and unable to reduce their cost of living.

     The purpose of this Act is to establish a market-based electric vehicle infrastructure incentive program consisting of a luxury pollution fee on the registration of high-end gasoline-powered vehicles for purposes of greening of highway infrastructure and funding the electric vehicle charging system rebate program established under section 269-72, Hawaii Revised Statutes.  The program is to be self-financing and is not intended to increase expenditures from or reduce revenues into the general fund.

     SECTION 2.  Section 249-31, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

"[[]OTHER LEVIES[]]

     §249-31  State registration fee.  (a)  All vehicles and motor vehicles in the State as defined in section 249-1, including antique motor vehicles, except as otherwise provided in sections 249-4, 249-6, and 249-31.5, shall be subject to a $45 annual vehicle registration fee; provided that electric vehicles and alternative fuel vehicles shall pay an annual vehicle registration surcharge fee of $50, which shall be assessed and collected beginning with the first registration renewal for every electric vehicle and alternative fuel vehicle and shall be deposited into the state highway fund established under section 248-8[.]; provided further that all non-electric vehicles with an initial manufacturer suggested retail price exceeding $60,000 registered in the State after December 31, 2021, shall be subject to an annual luxury pollution registration fee of            per cent of the original manufacturer suggested retail price of the vehicle greater than $60,000.  The fee shall be paid each year together with all other taxes and fees levied by this chapter on a staggered basis as established by each county as authorized by section 286-51, and the state registration for that county shall likewise be staggered so that the state registration fee is due and payable at the same time and shall be collected together with the county fee.  The state registration fee shall be deemed delinquent if not paid with the county registration fee.  The respective counties shall collect this fee together with the vehicle registration tax collected for the county and shall transfer the moneys collected under this section to the State.

     (b)  In addition to the annual vehicle registration surcharge fee, for each annual motor vehicle registration fee, the director shall deposit:

     (1)  $40 into the state highway fund [and];

     (2)  $5 into the emergency medical services special fund.

     (c)  For each luxury pollution vehicle registration fee, the director shall deposit:

     (1)  Twenty-five per cent of the collected fee into the State highway fund established under section 248-9; and

     (2)  Seventy-five per cent of the collected fee into the energy security special fund established under section 201-12.8 for purposes of providing rebates for the electric vehicle charging system rebate program established under section 269-72."

     SECTION 3.  Section 269-72, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

     "[[]§269-72[]]  Electric vehicle charging system; rebate program.  (a)  The public utilities commission, in consultation with electric vehicle stakeholders and the state energy office, shall administer a rebate program that incentivizes the installation or upgrade of an electric vehicle charging system, as provided in this section, and may contract with a third-party administrator pursuant to section 269‑73 to operate and manage the rebate program.

     (b)  An applicant may be eligible for a rebate under the rebate program if the applicant:

     (1)  Installs a new electric vehicle charging system where none previously existed to either:

          (A)  An alternating current Level 2 station with two or more ports that provide electricity to two or more electric vehicles; or

          (B)  A direct current fast charging system; or

     (2)  Upgrades an existing electric vehicle charging system to either:

          (A)  An alternating current Level 2 station with two or more ports that provide electricity to two or more electric vehicles; or

          (B)  A direct current fast charging system.

     (c)  Subject to subsection (d), rebates shall be distributed as follows:

     (1)  Each eligible installation of an electric vehicle charging system shall receive:

          (A)  $4,500 for the installation of an alternating current Level 2 station with two or more ports; and

          (B)  $35,000 for the installation of a direct current fast charging system; and

     (2)  Each eligible upgrade of an electric vehicle charging system shall receive:

          (A)  $3,000 for the upgrade to an alternating current Level 2 station with two or more ports; and

          (B)  $28,000 for the upgrade to a direct current fast charging system.

     (d)  The public utilities commission shall not issue more than $500,000 in total rebates under this section each fiscal year.

     (e)  The public utilities commission shall:

     (1)  Prepare any forms that may be necessary for an applicant to claim a rebate pursuant to this section; and

     (2)  Require each applicant to furnish reasonable information to ascertain the validity of the claim, including but not limited to documentation necessary to demonstrate that the installation or upgrade for which the rebate is claimed is eligible.

     (f)  This section shall apply to electric vehicle charging systems that are installed or upgraded after December 31, 2019.

     (g)  Applicants shall submit applications to the public utilities commission within twelve months of the date that the newly installed or upgraded charging system is placed into service to claim a rebate from the electric vehicle charging system rebate program.  Failure to apply to the commission within twelve months of the date that the newly installed or upgraded charging system is placed into service shall constitute a waiver of the right to claim the rebate.

     (h)  Nothing in this section shall alter taxes due on the original purchase or upgrade price of an electric vehicle charging system prior to the application of the rebate.  Any rebate received pursuant to the electric vehicle charging system rebate program shall not be considered income for the purposes of state or county taxes.

     (i)  In administering the electric vehicle charging system rebate program, the public utilities commission shall give consideration to the following guidelines:

     (1)  Priority should be given to electric vehicle charging systems that are publicly available, serve multiple tenants, employees, or customers, or serve electric vehicle fleets;

     (2)  Electric vehicle charging system rebates should enhance broader public clean energy and grid resiliency goals by supporting deployment of electric vehicle charging systems that can regulate their time of use, be networked and co-optimized with other electric vehicle charging systems, and otherwise provide grid services or other benefits to the utility and electric grid; and

     (3)  Electric vehicle charging systems that serve a single person, such as a reserved parking stall or a single-family residence, shall not be eligible for rebates.

     (j)  The commission may provide a rebate that may be used by an applicant to purchase a new electric vehicle or the installation or upgrade of an electric vehicle charging system if the applicant:

     (1)  Is low-income as defined by the public utilities commission; and

     (2)  Is domiciled in the State.

For the purposes of this subsection, "electric vehicle" has the same meaning as section 291-71.

     [(j)] (k)  As used in this section:

     "Alternating current Level 2 charging station", commonly referred to as "Level 2 charging station", means an electric vehicle charging system that utilizes alternating current electricity providing at least three kilowatts and means a system that:

     (1)  Is capable of providing electricity from a non-vehicle source to charge the batteries of one or more electric vehicles;

     (2)  Meets recognized standards and protocols including, but not limited to, Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) J1772™ of SAE International and Tesla protocol; and

     (3)  Is designed and installed in compliance with article 625 of the National Electrical Code to appropriate Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratories' standards.

     "Applicant" means an individual; non-profit or for-profit corporation; local, state, or federal government agency; homeowner association; or any other eligible entity as defined under rules adopted for the electric vehicle charging system rebate program.

     "Direct current fast charging system", commonly referred to as "DC fast charging system", means an electric vehicle charging system that utilizes direct current electricity providing forty kilowatts or greater and:

     (1)  Is capable of providing electricity from a non-vehicle source to charge the batteries of one or more electric vehicles;

     (2)  Meets recognized standards and protocols, including, but not limited to, Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) J1772™ of SAE International, Tesla protocol, and CHAdeMO protocol; and

     (3)  Is designed and installed in compliance with article 625 of the National Electrical Code to appropriate Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratories' standards.

     "Electric vehicle charging system" has the same meaning as Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment as defined in article 625.2 of the National Electrical Code, as amended."

     SECTION 4.  There is appropriated out of the energy security special fund the sum of $400,000 or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2021-2022 and the same sum or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2022-2023 for deposit into the public utilities commission special fund.

     SECTION 5.  There is appropriated out of the public utilities commission special fund the sum of $400,000 or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2021-2022 and the same sum or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2022-2023 for the administration of the electric vehicle charging system rebate program.

     The sums appropriated shall be expended by the public utilities commission for the purposes of this Act.

     SECTION 6.  Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken.  New statutory material is underscored.

     SECTION 7.  This Act shall take effect on January 1, 2050.

 

 

Report Title:

Electric Vehicles; Charging; Infrastructure Incentive Program; Tax; Appropriation

 

Description:

Establishes an annual luxury pollution registration fee for non‑electric vehicles over $60,000 beginning 12/31/21.  Requires the fees to be deposited in the state highway fund and support the electric vehicle charging system rebate program.  Expands the rebate program to include low-income residents of the state.  Takes effect 1/1/2050.  (SD1)

 

 

 

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