HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.B. NO.	1836
TWENTY-NINTH LEGISLATURE, 2018
STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

RELATING TO ENERGY.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

SECTION 1. The legislature finds that importing liquefied natural gas involves significant investment, commits the State to decades of using this nonrenewable fossil fuel, and displaces investment into long-term clean renewable energy. According to a 2016 Hawaii Gas plan, conversion of existing oil-burning power-generating plants to use liquefied natural gas would cost an estimated $200,000,000 along with millions of dollars in other large infrastructure expenditures. While liquefied natural gas has been touted as a bridge to a cleaner future, the staggering investment requirements are merely a bridge to use more liquefied natural gas. Instead, these hundreds of millions of dollars should be used to make great strides in implementing a smart electrical grid and developing solar, wind, and geothermal energy sources.

The legislature further finds that the use of liquefied natural gas raises environmental concerns. The liquefied natural gas production and transport process is fossil fuel intensive. The process includes fracking to obtain the natural gas and supercooling it to minus 259 degrees Fahrenheit to convert it into a liquid state. The liquefied natural gas must then be shipped across thousands of miles in refrigerated tanks, transported off the carriers, stored, and finally gasified. All of this requires tremendous use of fossil fuel energy and produces significant levels of greenhouse gases.

The purpose of this Act is to prohibit utilities from importing liquid natural gas without disrupting the current small liquefied natural gas imports.

SECTION 2. Chapter 269, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

"§269- Liquid natural gas carrier use by public utilities; prohibited. (a) No public utility shall use any liquid natural gas, or any product created from that liquid natural gas, that has been imported into the State by a liquid natural gas carrier.

(b) For purposes of this section, "liquid natural gas carrier" means a tank ship that primarily transports liquid natural gas and has a capacity to hold more than 100,000 cubic meters of liquid natural gas."

SECTION 3. New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

INTRODUCED BY:

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Report Title:

Liquefied Natural Gas; Utilities

Description:

Prohibits utilities from engaging in large-scale import of liquefied natural gas.

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