Policy

Clean Lighting (Act 225) – This bill transitions the state from selling fluorescent light bulbs to more efficient Light-Emitting Diode (LED) bulbs beginning in January 2025. LED bulbs don’t contain toxic mercury, use half the amount of electricity, and last two to three times longer than fluorescent bulbs, resulting in life-cycle cost savings for both residential customers and the commercial sector.

Appliance Efficiency Standards (Act 224) – This bill sets a minimum level of energy and water efficiency for certain household appliances sold in the state. While large appliances like refrigerators, washers, and dryers are regulated by national standards, states can adopt efficiency standards for appliances that are not regulated by the federal government. In doing so, states decrease energy and water use, save consumers and businesses money, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other pollutants.

Energy Efficiency Requirements for State Buildings (Act 239) – This law requires state buildings—among the largest electricity users in Hawai‘i—to perform energy efficiency improvements that will reduce the taxpayer burden of state energy bills, creates new jobs in clean energy, and decreases our carbon emissions.

State Goal to Reduce Carbon Emissions 50% by 2030 (Act 238) – In 2018, Hawai‘i lawmakers set a planning goal to achieve a carbon negative economy by 2045. To keep the state on track, this measure updated the goal to include an interim target to achieve a 50% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from 2005 levels by 2030.

Expanded Electric Vehicle Charger Rebates (Act 75) – As the number of EVs in the state increases, adequate and accessible charging infrastructure remains a roadblock to widespread adoption. This bill reallocated funding from Hawai‘i’s existing oil pollution tax to continue Hawai‘i’s successful electric vehicle charging system rebate program.

Phasing Out Coal Power (Act 23) – This law put an expiration date on coal power in Hawai‘i and called for ceasing all coal burning for electricity generation By December 31, 2022. When burned, coal is the dirtiest of fossil fuels and is the single largest contributor to the human-made increase of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

State Appliance Efficiency Standards (Act 141) – We successfully advocated to establish the state’s first ever minimum efficiency standards for certain products—computers and computer monitors, faucets, showerheads, sprinklers, and certain fluorescent lamps. The standards are expected to save up to $537 million in cumulative utility bill savings over 15 years.

Rebate program for electric vehicle charging infrastructure (Act 142) – The law establishes a rebate program ($400,000 over two years) for the installation and upgrade of EV charging stations, with priority given to chargers that are publicly accessible, serve multiple tenants, employees or customers, or are designated for electric vehicle fleets. The law is designed to spur the expansion of public EV chargers, specifically to meet the needs of drivers who cannot charge at home.

Performance-Based Regulation (Act 5) – We championed a bill that jumpstarted and accelerated “performance-based regulation” (PBR) for electric utilities, helping to reshape the utility’s financial incentive structure to better align revenue with performance and increasing renewable energy. Since 2018, we have helped to shape the PBR docket before the Hawai‘i Public Utilities Commission.

Microgrid Services Tariff (Act 200) – We supported a bill that provides to the PUC to develop a tariff for microgrid services, ensuring that such a tariff is designed to provide fair compensation for electricity, electric grid services, and other benefits provided to or by the electric utility, the person or entity operating the microgrid, and other ratepayers.

Nation’s First 100% Renewable Energy Law (Act 97) – Blue Planet was the lead advocate for the nation’s first 100% renewable energy mandate. After years of pushing for the vision, Blue Planet successfully launched a broad public campaign that engaged community leaders, students, and countless residents. This bold policy has since changed the conversation about energy in Hawaii—and beyond.

Community-Based Renewable Energy (Act 100) – Lawmakers set a vision for a “community solar” program in Hawaii that aims to dramatically expand the number of Hawaii residents and businesses who can access the benefits of clean energy—beyond only those who live in single-family homes with easy access to rooftop solar.