Action Alert HB 2100

Testify in support of HB 2100

House Bill 2100, which establishes incentives for affordable housing developments to be built as “electric vehicle charger-ready”, has a hearing on Tuesday, January 30th in the Committee on Energy & Environmental Protection. Please submit testimony by Monday, January 29th in support of this important bill.

What does this bill do? HB 2100 provides rebates for new affordable housing developments to install the power-capacity and wiring necessary to make parking lots “EV charger-ready”— which would help save money for residents for future EV charger installation, reduce the barriers to EV adoption, and address the urgent challenge of reducing carbon emissions from ground transportation.

Why does this bill matter? While we have made progress on decarbonizing the electricity sector, ground transportation remains a significant source of carbon emissions in Hawai‘i and is our top contributor to climate change. We also critically need to build affordable housing that provides equitable access for all residents to participate in our clean energy future.

Ideas for Personal Testimony on HB 2100

The strongest testimony is personalized, describing the reasons why you support bold action on climate. Feel free to use one of the following prompts to get you started on telling your story about why you support this bill:

This bill helps to build new affordable housing for the future of electric vehicles and enable all of Hawai‘i’s residents to participate in a decarbonized and resilient future.
The most challenging aspect of EV charger installation is the common lack of electrical capacity to support charging infrastructure. In buildings that are not “EV charger-ready”, tenants may pay up to 91% more for expensive retrofits to install the necessary wiring to their parking stalls.
Many working families cannot afford single family homes, so the lack of EV charging in multi-unit dwellings, condos, and affordable housing is an equity issue for Hawai‘i residents.
Embracing electric vehicles is an important part of addressing climate change and reducing ground transportation emissions.

Sample Testimony

Aloha Chair Lowen, Vice Chair Cochran, and members of the Committee,

I am testifying in support of HB 2100, which provides incentives for new affordable housing developments that are built to be electric vehicle charger-ready.

[INSERT PERSONAL STATEMENT HERE] ________________________________
___________________________________________________________________

Accessibility to EV charging remains a significant barrier to the wider adoption of electric vehicles in Hawaiʻi. This barrier is even greater for working families who plan to live in affordable housing developments, and rely on public charging for their transportation needs.

Installing “EV charger-ready” infrastructure is much cheaper during construction compared to expensive retrofits that must be paid by tenants once a building is completed. By incentivizing new affordable housing to be ready for the future demand of electric vehicles, we can make electric vehicles more accessible to our working families and local residents.

Electric vehicles are the fastest growing segment of new cars and play a critical role in Hawai‘i’s clean energy future. I support incentives for EV-ready affordable housing to help encourage electric vehicle adoption, significantly lower the cost for local families to install EV charging in the future, and address the urgent challenge of reducing carbon emissions.

Please pass HB 2100.

Thank you for considering my testimony.

[Sign your full name, and list your city, state, and zip code]

Submit Testimony