The bell has rung, and the 2012 Hawaii state legislature is now in session. The hearing schedule is jam-packed with some key measures that Blue Planet will comment on. (Read more about our legislative priorities for 2012.) Click the links to see our testimony. If you're interested in tracking the progress of bills, please refer to our policy initiatives pages, which will be updated throughout the session.

Feb. 7 9a House Committee on Energy and Environmental Protection, Room 325
HB 425 HD1 Requires PUC to consider diverse portfolio of fossil fuels
HB 2259 Establishes hydrogen safety codes and standards
HB 2484 HD1 Clarifies EV registration rules and codifies existing incentives
HB 2485 HD1 Amends law requiring designated EV parking spaces

Feb. 6 9a House Committee on Transportation, Room 309
HB 2626 Establishes Safe Routes to School Program within Department of Transportation funded through a surcharge for certain traffic violations

Feb. 6 1:17p Senate Committee on Transportation and International Affairs, Senate Committee on Energy and Environment, Room 224
SB 2747 Amends law requiring designated EV parking spaces
SB 2746 Clarifies EV registration rules and codifies existing incentives

Feb. 2 10a House Committee on Energy and Environmental Protection, Room 325
HB 2400  Seeks to bifurcate Hawaii's main electric utility company into a transmission and distribution company and generating assets

Jan. 31 8:15a House Committee on Energy and Environmental Protection, Room 325
HB 2525 Authorizes a Hawaii Electricity Reliability Administrator (HERA) and authorizes PUC to perform necessary electric system reliability and grid access oversight functions
HB 2490 Reduces the level of imputed debt assumed by electric utitilies when entering into power purchase agreements
HB 2041 Reduces curtailment of renewable power sold to public utilities and enables independent power producers to sell to other customers

From our press release files:

HONOLULU--During his 2012 State of the State address this morning, Hawai‘i Gov. Neil Abercrombie urged swift, aggressive action on clean energy policies that would reduce Hawaii's dependence on oil. Pointing to a pilot smart grid project on Maui, the Governor underscored the importance of grid modernization. He also talked about equalizing rates across the state, nodding to grid integration between the islands. Additionally, he announced a plan to establish an "explicit authority to develop, adopt and monitor electricity reliability and interconnection standards."

"The Governor recognizes that Hawaii's clean future is being throttled by an outdated, antiquated energy grid," said Blue Planet Foundation Executive Director Jeff Mikulina. "We need to make the necessary investments in modernizing our electricity infrastructure so we can put our abundant indigenous resources statewide to work." Blue Planet is encouraged that the Governor recognizes outdated infrastructure and shortcomings in reliability as bottlenecks to the adoption of renewable energy, and has assigned Lt. Gov. Brian Schatz to oversee these priorities. Blue Planet Foundation looks forward to working with Lt. Gov. Schatz—who was a clean energy advocate while serving in the state legislature—to shape and advance these critical proposals.
 
Blue Planet is concerned, however, that the Governor included natural gas—not currently part of Hawaii's electricity landscape—as an alternative for electricity production among local, clean, renewable sources of energy.

"Imported natural gas does not rank with indigenous photovoltaic, wind, geothermal, biofuel, and ocean resources as solutions fit to achieve Hawaii's energy security," Mikulina said. "Our state's energy mix must come from the abundant, local sources of clean, renewable power. We can not afford to deepen our reliance on imported, volatile fossil fuels."
 
"Governor Abercrombie has selected the right energy priorities for 2012 and has the right leadership at the Public Utilities Commission to execute the plan," Mikulina continued. "If we can align legislative leadership and community support with the Governor's clean energy vision, Hawai‘i can look forward to stable energy prices, a healthier local economy, and a clean energy future."