Hawaii sets new emissions target as it pursues goal of 100% renewable energy by 2045

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - Gov. David Ige signed four clean energy bills Tuesday to strengthen the push towards climate change in the state.

“Last week’s U.S. Supreme Court decision limiting the federal government’s ability to fight climate change underscores why it’s so important for states to act and lead by example,” Ige said, in a press release.

House Bill 1800 establishes a new goal for the statewide greenhouse gas emissions limit.

The interim target is to be 50% below 2005 emissions by 2030.

The bill says that the 2020 emissions goal was achieved, making it time to set a new decarbonization target for Hawaii to continue the momentum.

It will also direct aid to help the State Energy Office identify obstacles preventing the achievement of future climate change goals.

Senate Bill 2570 will establish a rebate program for those who install or upgrade a fueling system for renewable hydrogen.

The “zero-emission vehicle fueling system” rebate program will give a $200,000 rebate to installations or upgrades..

Lawmakers say that the bill will incentivize hydrogen vehicles on the road, especially for medium and heavy duty trucks and semis.

House Bill 2089 will change the way that the state’s renewable energy ratings are calculated.

Previously, the calculations were based on electrical energy sales, rather than generation.

The bill states that this “overestimates the amount of renewable energy serving Hawaii’s electric utility customers.” The previous calculation does not include energy losses that happen between the generation of energy and the customer’s meter — where measures are taken from.

By redefining what the “renewable portfolio standard” is, they hope to track a more accurate reflection of the state’s goals, according to the bill.

House Bill 1801 will require state facilities, with the exception of small facilities, to implement cost-effective energy efficiency measures.

The bill directs the State Energy Office to collect the utility bills of all state-owned facilities and to make that data public.

In addition, it will require the design of new state buildings to maximize energy and water efficiency, if cost effective.

These efforts are geared towards reaching the state’s goal of being 100% renewable energy by 2045, according to the bill.

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