STAND. COM. REP. NO. 713-26

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2026

RE: H.B. No. 1984

H.D. 2

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2026

State of Hawaii

Madame:

Your Committee on Water & Land, to which was referred H.B. No. 1984, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO RENEWABLE ENERGY,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to require:

(1) By July 1, 2027, government entities in the State that issue building permits to establish a self‑certification process for behind-the-meter, customer-sited solar distributed energy resource system projects that deems permit applications approved and allows applicants to proceed to build solar distributed energy resource systems immediately; and

(2) Government entities in the State that issue building permits to develop Federal Emergency Management Agency-accepted guidance for determining specific conditions under which a Federal Emergency Management Agency-mandated No-Rise Certification is not required for a solar distributed energy resource system located in a regulatory floodway.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from Sunrun; Climate Protectors Hawaiʻi; Sierra Club of Hawaiʻi; Inception Financial LLC; PV Tech; Photonworks Engineering; Green Power Projects LLC; 350Hawaii.org; Inter-Island Solar Supply/The Solaray Corporation; Hawaii Solar Energy Association; Grassroot Institute of Hawaii; Alternate Energy Inc.; and eight individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Land and Natural Resources; Public Utilities Commission; and one individual.

Your Committee finds that the equitable development of distributed renewable energy infrastructure, such as distributed solar energy systems, is a necessary strategy to help reduce Hawaii's dependence on fossil fuels and support greater energy resiliency for the State. Your Committee further finds that this measure would significantly improve the permitting processes for solar projects by establishing a self-certification pathway and clarifying Federal Emergency Management Agency flood zone requirements.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Excluding landscape architects from the licensed design professionals who are authorized to provide an attestation that a proposed project is not located within a flood zone that requires it to comply with federal, state, or county floodplain management development codes or laws pursuant to the requirements of the National Flood Insurance Program; and

(2) Making a technical, nonsubstantive amendment for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Water & Land that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1984, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1984, H.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Water & Land,

____________________________

MARK J. HASHEM, Chair