Hawaii-2021-HB463-Introduced

PART I. INTRODUCTION

SECTION 1. The legislature finds that climate change is a threat to the present and future generations of Hawaii. A report by the Hawaii climate change mitigation and adaptation commission finds that global sea levels could rise by more than three feet by the year 2100, resulting in significant risks to environmental health. According to the report, over the next thirty to seventy years, approximately 6,500 structures and 19,800 people statewide will be exposed to chronic flooding.

Additionally, an estimated $19,000,000,000 in economic loss would result from chronic flooding of land and structures located in sea level rise exposure areas. Approximately thirty-eight miles of coastal roads and five hundred fifty cultural sites could also be chronically flooded, adding to the thirteen miles of beaches that have already been lost on Kauai, Oahu, and Maui to erosion worsened by shoreline hardening.

The legislature finds that the use of fossil fuels is the State's primary contributor to greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere. These emissions cause climate change, which poses a serious threat to the State's economic well-being, public health, infrastructure, and environment. The legislature finds that the State's dependence on fossil fuels also drains the economy of billions of dollars each year, makes residents vulnerable to the volatility of oil prices, and puts residents at increased risk in the event of a natural disaster.

The legislature also finds that the transportation sector accounts for the use of over two-thirds of the oil imported into the State. With regard to ground transportation, electric vehicles provide a viable, cost-effective alternative to vehicles that run on fossil fuels. For state-owned transportation fleets, the transition to electric vehicles will bring considerable cost savings because of lower costs to operate and maintain these vehicles.

The purpose of this Act is to accelerate Hawaii's efforts to address climate change and establish a clean economy by:

(1) Setting the goal of employing one hundred per cent clean ground transportation for the State's public and private transportation sectors by December 31, 2030;

(2) Requiring all light duty motor vehicles procured pursuant to the Hawaii Public Procurement Code to be powered by renewable sources by January 1, 2030;

(3) Accelerating the State's goal of becoming one hundred per cent reliant on clean energy and reaching its zero emissions clean energy target from 2045 to 2030;

(4) Increasing the goal for electricity use reductions achieved under the State's energy-efficiency portfolio standards from four thousand three hundred gigawatt hours of electricity to six thousand two hundred gigawatt hours of electricity by 2030; and

(5) Prohibiting the sale of new motor vehicles solely powered by fossil fuels by January 1, 2030.

PART II. CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION AND CLEAN ENERGY GOALS

SECTION 2. Chapter 225P, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

"§225P- Climate change mitigation goal. It shall be the goal of the State to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and build energy efficiencies, including but not limited to clean ground transportation, across all business sectors of the State to attain a goal of one hundred per cent of light duty vehicles powered by renewable energy sources by December 31, 2030."

SECTION 3. Chapter 264, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to part I to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

"§264- Clean ground transportation goal. The department of transportation, in collaboration with the Hawaii state energy office, shall develop strategies to transition all light duty vehicles, public and private, in the State to meet the clean ground transportation goal of being one hundred per cent powered by renewable sources by December 31, 2030."

SECTION 4. Section 196-42, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

"§196-42 State support for achieving alternate fuels standards[.] and clean ground transportation goals. (a) The State shall facilitate the development of alternate fuels and support the attainment of a statewide alternate fuels standard of ten per cent of highway fuel demand to be provided by alternate fuels by 2010, fifteen per cent by 2015, twenty per cent by 2020, and thirty per cent by 2030. For purposes of the alternate fuels standard, ethanol produced from cellulosic materials shall be considered the equivalent of two and one-half gallons of noncellulosic ethanol. "Alternate fuels" shall have the same meaning as contained in 10 Code of Federal Regulations Part 490; provided that it shall also include liquid or gaseous fuels produced from renewable feedstocks such as organic wastes, or from water using electricity from renewable energy sources.

(b) The State shall support the attainment of the clean ground transportation goals established by sections 225P‑ and 264‑ , including by ensuring that one hundred per cent of light duty motor vehicles procured pursuant to chapter 103D are powered by renewable sources by January 1, 2030."

SECTION 5. Section 225P-1, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

"§225P-1 Purpose. The purpose of this chapter is to address the effects of climate change to protect the State's economy, environment, health, and way of life. This chapter establishes the framework for the State to:

(1) Adapt to the inevitable impacts of global warming and climate change, including rising sea levels, temperatures, and other risk factors; and

(2) Mitigate its greenhouse gas emissions by sequestering more atmospheric carbon and greenhouse gases than the State produces as quickly as practicable, but no later than [~~2045.~~] 2030."

SECTION 6. Section 225P-5, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending its title and subsection (a) to read as follows:

"[[]§225P-5[]] Zero emissions clean economy target. (a) Considering both atmospheric carbon and greenhouse gas emissions as well as offsets from the local sequestration of atmospheric carbon and greenhouse gases through long-term sinks and reservoirs, a statewide target is hereby established to sequester more atmospheric carbon and greenhouse gases than emitted within the State as quickly as practicable, but no later than [~~2045.~~] 2030."

SECTION 7. Section 269-92, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsection (a) to read as follows:

"(a) Each electric utility company that sells electricity for consumption in the State shall establish a renewable portfolio standard of:

(1) Ten per cent of its net electricity sales by December 31, 2010;

(2) Fifteen per cent of its net electricity sales by December 31, 2015;

(3) Thirty per cent of its net electricity sales by December 31, 2020;

(4) [~~Forty~~] Fifty per cent of its net electricity sales by December 31, [~~2030;~~] 2025; and

[~~(5)~~ ~~Seventy per cent of its net electricity sales by December 31, 2040; and~~

~~(6)~~] (5) One hundred per cent of its net electricity sales by December 31, [~~2045.~~] 2030."

SECTION 8. Section 269-96, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended as follows:

1. By amending its title to read:

"[[]§269-96[]] Energy-efficiency portfolio standards."

2. By amending subsection (b) to read:

"(b) The energy-efficiency portfolio standards shall be designed to achieve [~~four~~] six thousand [~~three~~] two hundred gigawatt hours of electricity use reductions statewide by 2030; provided that the commission shall establish interim goals for electricity use reduction to be achieved by 2015, 2020, and 2025 and may also adjust the 2030 standard by rule or order to maximize cost-effective energy-efficiency programs and technologies."

PART III. PROHIBITION ON FOSSIL FUEL POWERED VEHICLES

SECTION 9. Chapter 437, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to part I to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

"§437- Prohibition on the sale of new motor vehicles solely powered by fossil fuels. (a) Beginning January 1, 2030, no dealer or salesperson shall sell or offer for sale a new motor vehicle that:

(1) Is solely powered by fossil fuels; and

(2) Is designed for personal, family, or household use.

(b) This section shall not be construed to prohibit:

(1) The sale or offer for sale of new motor vehicles designed for commercial use, including but not limited to buses, farm equipment, and truck-tractors;

(2) The sale or offer for sale of used motor vehicles on or after January 1, 2030; or

(3) The sale or offer for sale of new motor vehicles partially powered by fossil fuels on or after January 1, 2030."

PART IV. MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS

SECTION 10. This Act does not affect rights and duties that matured, penalties that were incurred, and proceedings that were begun before its effective date.

SECTION 11. Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken. New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 12. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2021.

INTRODUCED BY:	_____________________________

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.B. NO.	463
THIRTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2021
STATE OF HAWAII