THE SENATE

KA AHA KENEKOA

 

THE THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE

REGULAR SESSION OF 2026

 

COMMITTEE ON ENERGY AND INTERGOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS

Senator Glenn Wakai, Chair

Senator Stanley Chang, Vice Chair

 

NOTICE OF HEARING

 

 

DATE:

Tuesday, March 17, 2026

TIME:

3:01 PM

PLACE:

Conference Room 224 & Videoconference

State Capitol

415 South Beretania Street

 

 

PHOTO ID REQUIRED FOR ENTRANCE TO THE STATE CAPITOL

BUILDING HOURS: 7AM TO 5PM, MONDAY - FRIDAY

 

The Legislature is accepting written, videoconference, and in-person testimony at public hearings.

A live stream of all Senate Standing Committee meetings will be available on the Senate YouTube Channel.

 

 

A G E N D A

 

HB 2140, HD2

      (HSCR1114-26)

      Status & Testimony

RELATING TO ESSENTIAL PERMITTING POSITIONS.

Establishes a four-year pilot program to improve the speed, accountability, and quality of permit processing through targeted staffing, performance incentives, and interdepartmental competition within participating counties.  Requires annual reports to the Legislature.  Effective 7/1/3000.  (HD2)

 

EIG, WAM

HB 2241, HD1

      (HSCR937-26)

      Status & Testimony

RELATING TO RENEWABLE ENERGY.

Amends the renewable energy technologies income tax credit by:  beginning 12/31/26, limiting claims for certain solar energy systems that are not third-party financed systems and installed and placed in service on a single-family residential property to taxpayers with an adjusted gross income of $250,000 or less if filing as an individual or $350,000 or less if filing jointly; removing certain cap amounts for solar energy systems that are not third-party financed systems; and increasing the maximum adjusted gross income an individual taxpayer must be below in order to be eligible to have any excess credits refunded and limiting credit refundability to systems that are not third-party financed systems.  Effective 7/1/3000.  (HD1)

 

EIG, WAM

HB 2608, HD1

      (HSCR883-26)

      Status & Testimony

RELATING TO WATER HEATING SYSTEMS.

Authorizes building permit variances for certain high-efficiency electric water heating systems utilizing heat pump technology.  Effective 7/1/3000.  (HD1)

 

EIG, CPN

SCR 9 / SR 11

      Status & Testimony / Status & Testimony

URGING THE COUNTIES TO INITIATE A FREEZE ON PRIMARY RESIDENCE PROPERTY TAXES FOR HOMEOWNERS WHO ARE SEVENTY-FIVE YEARS OF AGE AND OLDER TO CREATE A MORE SECURE FINANCIAL ENVIRONMENT FOR THE IMPACTED POPULATION.

 

 

EIG

SCR 20 / SR 17

      Status & Testimony / Status & Testimony

STRONGLY SUPPORTING THE COUNTY OF HAWAIʻI'S EFFORTS TO DEVELOP THE KEALAKEHE REGIONAL PARK PROJECT.

 

 

EIG

 

 

 

 

Decision Making to follow, if time permits.

 

All testimony received by the Hawai‘i Senate is posted on the Hawai‘i Legislature's website, which is accessible to the public. Please do not include private information that you do not want disclosed to the public.

 

Please go to the Legislature's website, https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov, to submit written testimony at least 24 hours prior to the hearing. Create a free account on the website, or sign in to an existing account, then click on the "Participate" drop down menu and select the "Submit Testimony" option to get started. While submitting your written testimony, you will be prompted to indicate if you would also like to testify at the hearing in-person or remotely via videoconference.

 

Please note the following:

 

·         The number of oral testifiers and/or time allotted to each testifier may be limited by the Chair when necessary to adhere to the committee hearing schedule. We may not be able to accommodate everyone who requests to testify orally.

·         Testifiers for this hearing will be limited to 1 minute each.

 

If you wish to testify via videoconference during the hearing, please review the detailed step-by-step instructions for testimony procedures before you submit your written testimony. Here's a direct link to the instructions: https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/docs/testimonyinstructions.pdf

 

For general help navigating the committee hearing process, please contact the Public Access Room at (808) 587-0478 or par@capitol.hawaii.gov. You can also visit their website at https://lrb.hawaii.gov/par/.

 

For special assistance: The cable TV broadcast and/or live stream of this meeting will include closed captioning. If you need an auxiliary aid/service or other accommodation due to a disability, please call the committee clerk at the telephone number listed below or email EIGcommittee@capitol.hawaii.gov. Requests made as early as possible have a greater likelihood of being fulfilled.

 

For amended notices: Measures that have been deleted are stricken through and measures that have been added are underscored.  If a measure is both underscored and stricken through, that measure has been deleted from the agenda.

 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CALL THE COMMITTEE CLERK AT 808-586-8585.

 

 

 

 

_____________________________________

Senator Glenn Wakai

Chair