STAND. COM. REP. NO. 15-22

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2022

RE: H.B. No. 1800

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Energy & Environmental Protection, to which was referred H.B. No. 1800 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CLIMATE MITIGATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Establish a goal for the statewide greenhouse gas emissions limit to be at least seventy percent below 2005 levels by 2030; and

(2) Require and appropriate funds for the Hawaii State Energy Office to conduct a study to determine Hawaii's pathway to decarbonization and identify challenges, opportunities, and actions that will be needed to achieve those goals.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Health, Hawaii Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Commission, Hawaii State Energy Office, 350Hawaii.org, Blue Planet Foundation, Climate Protectors Hawai‘i, Life of the Land, Imua Alliance, Hawaiian Electric Company, and five individuals. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from one individual. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Public Utilities Commission.

Your Committee finds that climate change poses immediate and long-term threats to Hawaii's economy, public health, natural resources, environment, and way of life. While the State achieved its 2020 statewide goals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, there are no additional decarbonization targets until 2045. Therefore, in order to achieve the goal of a fully decarbonized economy, the State needs to establish near-term decarbonization targets and plan ahead to identify challenges and actions that will need to be taken to achieve its decarbonization goals.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Establishing the statewide greenhouse gas emissions limit of at least seventy percent below 2005 levels by 2030 in section 225P-5, Hawaii Revised Statutes, rather than section 342B-71, Hawaii Revised Statutes;

(2) Providing more flexibility for the Department of Health in reporting greenhouse gas emissions;

(3) Adding items and considerations for the Hawaii State Energy Office to include in its analysis and recommendations for achieving the State's economy-wide decarbonization goals;

(4) Extending the deadline for the Hawaii State Energy Office's report to no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2024;

(5) Changing the effective date to July 1, 2100, to encourage further discussion; and

(6) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Energy & Environmental Protection that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1800, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1800, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Energy & Environmental Protection,

____________________________

NICOLE E. LOWEN, Chair