2023 Legislative Priorities
ACTION ALERTS
There are no Action Alerts currently. The status of the bills is below
Local Bills Supported by CCL Hawaii
CCL Hawaii supports local legislation that aligns with CCL's expanded policy agenda. This includes bills that fall into the following policy areas: Carbon Pricing, Healthy Forests, Building Electrification and Efficiency, and Permitting Reform
Hawaii legislative measures representing these areas are listed below. As these bills are scheduled to be heard, we’ll update our Action Alert section (above).
Resolutions Calling for National Carbon Pricing
The Hawaii legislature introduced two resolutions calling for the National Congress to enact carbon fee and dividend (carbon cashback).
Final Status - House Resolution 125 passed and was adopted (3/29/23)
House concurrent resolution HCR124 was deferred in the Senate EET Committee (4/13/23). Senate Concurrent Resolution SCR200 was not heard in committee.
Healthy Forests
Forests are critical climate solutions as they capture and store carbon from the air. All efforts to preserve and restore forests will allow this natural solution to expand and increase its carbon sequest2ration capabilities.
Please support the following bills:
SB419 SD1 HD1: Appropriates funds for the Hawaii carbon smart land management assistance pilot program. Final Status - 4/28/23 - Was not heard in Conference by the 4/28/23 deadline.
SB660 SD2: Establishes the Healthy Soils program within the Department of Agriculture. Appropriates funds. Requires an annual report to the Legislature. Final Status - Bill was not heard by the deadline and will not move forward, Status: 3/22/23 Passed AGR and amendment HD1 accepted next FIN (3/9/23 - Referred to AGR, FIN)
Building Electrification and Efficiency
“Waste not, want not.” By increasing the efficiency of our buildings (electrification is a big part of this), we reduce the amount of energy that is consumed. This allows for money savings and the reduction of carbon pollution.
HB197 HD1 SD1: Requires the department of health to establish a refrigerant management program to reduce emissions of high global warming potential refrigerants and any refrigerant that is an ozone depleting substance from stationary, commercial, and industrial refrigeration systems and air conditioning systems and adopt rules for the regulation of the use of such refrigerants. Requires the state building code council to establish codes and standards consistent with the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions associated with hydrofluorocarbons when updating the state building code. Specifies that no law, rule, ordinance, or code, including the state building code, shall prohibit or limit the use of a refrigerant deemed acceptable under federal law. Final Status - 4/28/23 - Was not heard in Conference by the 4/28/23 deadline.
HB654 HD2: Requires state agencies to process the aggregated energy and water data of certain properties through the federal ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager and submit the benchmarking data to the Hawaii state energy office. Appropriates funds. Status: Final Status - Bill was not heard by the deadlines and will not move forward 3/22/23 Passed EET/PSM, 3/9/23 Passed to Senate - Referred to EET/PSM, WAM
Permitting Reform
Reforming our permitting processes will allow for the acceleration of the expansion of our clean energy economy.
The following bill will speed up the permitting of rooftop solar projects across the state.
SB781 SD2 HD2: Requires government entities in the State that issue building permits to implement SolarAPP+ or a functionally equivalent online automated permitting platform that verifies code compliance and issues permits to licensed contractors for solar distributed energy resource systems in real time by 1/1/2024. Requires government entities in the State that issue building permits in territories served by an investor-owned electric utility to adopt self-certification for solar distributed energy resource systems that are not SolarAPP+ Final Status - 4/28/23 - Was not heard in Conference by the 4/28/23 deadline.
