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State Planning and Incentive Structures | Energy Efficiency Actions | Energy Supply Actions

State Planning and Incentive Structures

Lead By Example—Energy Efficiency in Public Facilities

Status: Completed (with caveat)

Details: HB 2175 (Signed May 12, 2006) requires newly constructed or substantially renovated state owned facilities to be built to LEED Silver standards. Administrative Directive 06-01 (January 2006) states that for all state-funded buildings, newly constructed and renovated buildings must adhere to LEED standards, and adhere to LEED-Silver standards where feasible. LEED includes a minimum energy performance level as a component but does not necessarily require buildings to optimize energy performance. States with stand-alone LEED requirements (i.e., the state has adopted LEED requirements for its buildings but has not yet specified energy efficiency targets for those buildings) are listed as Completed With Caveat.

Lead By Example—Energy Efficient Appliance and Equipment Purchase Requirements for Public Facilities

Status: Completed

Details: HB 2175 (signed March 12, 2006) and Administrative Directive 06-01 (January 20, 2006) direct state agencies to use ENERGY STAR and other energy-efficient equipment when cost-effective on a life-cycle basis.

Lead By Example—Clean Energy Goals for Public Facilities

Status: Completed (with caveat)

Details: Administrative Directive 98-03 mandates that effective January 1, 1999, all plans and designs for new or renovated facilities using state funds or located on state land and incorporating the use of hot water shall conduct a comparative analysis to determine the cost-benefit of using conventional water heating systems or solar water heating systems. If the life-cycle analysis is positive, the facility shall incorporate solar water heating.

Lead By Example—Energy Efficiency and Alternative Fuel Goals for Public Fleets

Status: Completed

Details: Act 96 (House Bill 2175), signed May 12, 2006, calls for each agency to purchase the most fuel-efficient vehicles that meet the needs of their programs, provided that life-cycle cost-benefit analysis of vehicle purchases include projected fuel costs. It also directs state agencies to purchase alternative fuels and ethanol blended gasoline when available and evaluate a purchase preference for biodiesel blends.

State and Regional Energy Planning

Status: Completed

Details: As part of the governor's "Energy For Tomorrow" package of legislation, HB 2848 (signed June 2, 2006) appropriates funds for the Hawaii Energy Policy Forum to develop an action plan, benchmarks, recommendations, and a timeline to meet HI's energy goals, as well as assess the feasibility of HI's participation in the Chicago Climate Exchange. Hawaii is also part of the Western Governor's Association (WGA). In June 2006 the Governors signed resolutions to meet or exceed goals of 30,000 MW of clean energy by 2015 and a 20% increase in energy efficiency by 2020, to encourage adequate funding for state energy efficiency and renewable generation programs, and to facilitate development of regional energy markets.

Determining the Air Quality Benefits of Clean Energy—Energy Efficiency/Renewable Energy Set Asides (NOX Budget Trading Program)

Status: No Activity Identified

Determining the Air Quality Benefits of Clean Energy—Energy Efficiency/Renewable Energy Set Asides (CAIR Budget Trading Program)

Status: No Activity Identified

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Energy Efficiency Actions

Energy Efficiency Portfolio Standards

Status: Completed

Details: Senate Bill 3185 (signed June 2, 2006) establishes a statewide energy efficiency utility and energy efficiency portfolio standard of 10% in 2010, 15% in 2015, and 20% in 2020. A 2004 law sets a renewable resource requirement of 8% of kWh sales in 2005, rising to 20% in 2020. Energy efficiency qualifies as a resource under the state renewable portfolio standard.

Public Benefit Funds for Energy Efficiency

Status: Completed

Details: HB 1003 (Act 253), which became law on July 5, 2007, creates an energy systems development special fund for the development of renewable energy and energy efficient technologies through a partnership with the University of Hawaii. The special fund shall be funded by appropriations from the legislature and by investment earnings, gifts, donations, or other income received by a newly formed natural energy institute.
Senate Bill 3185 (signed June 2, 2006), allows for all monies that were previously part of demand-side management (DSM) measures to be available also to a public benefits fund (PBF) established by the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission (PUC). The PBF has a fund administrator to operate and manage all established programs that support energy efficiency and DSM.

Building Codes for Energy Efficiency—Commercial Programs

Status: No Activity Identified

Details: Hawaii is a home rule state. Building codes are determined at the local level (considered "No Activity" because there is no statewide policy). ASHRAE/IESNA 90.1-1989 with modifications, voluntary. Honolulu, Kauai and Maui Counties have adopted ASHRAE 90.1-1999. Hawaii County has adopted ASHRAE 90.1-1989.

Building Codes for Energy Efficiency—Residential Programs

Status: No Activity Identified

Details: Hawaii is a home rule state. Building codes are determined at the local level (considered “No Activity” because it is not a state-wide program). The Hawaii Model Energy Code exceeds 1995 MEC, voluntary statewide; Honolulu and Maui Counties require R-19 or equivalent, mandatory in new residential roofs. Hawaii County requires R-19 in the roofs and R-11 in the walls for homes that are centrally air conditioned. Kauai County currently does not have residential energy code provisions.

State Appliance Efficiency Standards

Status: No Activity Identified

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Energy Supply Actions

Renewable Portfolio Standards

Status: Completed

Details: SB 3185 (signed June 2, 2006) amended Hawaii's existing RPS by allowing energy efficiency to be considered an eligible resource for meeting the standard; authorizing the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to establish standards for each utility that prescribe what portion of the RPS shall be met by specific types of renewable electrical energy resources; and removing an original provision that allowed the PUC to relieve utilities of their responsibilities under the RPS if unexpected circumstances arise. Electric utilities must meet the following RPS goals with renewable electrical energy: 10% of net electricity sales by December 31, 2010; 15% of net electricity sales by December 31, 2015; and 20% of net electricity sales by December 31, 2020. Existing renewables may be counted in the total.

Public Benefit Funds for Clean Energy Supply

Status: Completed

Details: HB 1003 (Act 253), which became law on July 5, 2007, creates an energy systems development special fund for the development of renewable energy and energy efficient technologies through a partnership with the University of Hawaii. The special fund shall be funded by appropriations from the legislature and by investment earnings, gifts, donations, or other income received by a newly formed natural energy institute.

Output-Based Environmental Regulations

Status: No Activity Identified

Interconnection Standards—Clean Distributed Generation

Status: Completed/Further Work In Progress

Details: In 2003, Hawaii established both simplified interconnection rules for small renewables and, more recently (2005), separate rules for all other distributed generation. The rule applies to all distributed generation with no size limit, with simplified rules for small systems under 50kW on Kauai and 100kW on the other islands. In 2003, the PUC issued a proceeding to revise the state's DG interconnection rules, Docket No. 03-0371. In October 2007, the PUC closed docket No. 03-0371. The PUC is now addressing interconnection for Kauai Island Utility Cooperative (KIUC) and Hawaiian Electric Company (HECO) with dockets 2006-0497 and No. 2006-0498. Interconnection tariffs have been presented to the PUC by these two companies, and a written decision by the PUC is expected in the near future.

Interconnection Standards—Net Metering

Status: Completed

Details: On June 6, 2008, Governor Linda Lingle enacted a net metering bill (H.B. 2550), essentially codifying steps already taken by the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission (PUC). The allowable aggregate amount of net metering permitted by each utility is one-half of one percent of peak demand; the PUC, however, may increase this amount. The bill permits the PUC to define the maximum allowable capacity of customer-owned distributed generation eligible for net metering.
On March 13, 2008, the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission issued Order 24089 (Docket 2006-0084) which permits expanded net metering programs at the Hawaiian Electric Co. (HECO) and Kauai Island Utility Coop (KIUC), but rejects the federal net metering standard. Both HECO and KIUC will increase the total allowable capacity of net metering on their systems from 0.5 to 1.0 percent, with a portion of this total reserved for generators sized 10 kW or less. Allowable generator size will be increased to 100 kW at HECO and 50 kW at KIUC. The March 2008 PUC order also required each utility to develop a net-metering “pilot program” allowing net metering, on a trial basis, to a limited number of larger systems of at least 100 kW to 500 kW, while allowing for even larger units "if technically and economically reasonable and practicable." Hawaii has state-wide net metering for all utility types. Hawaii's original net metering law, Act 272, was enacted in 2001 and was expanded and strengthened in 2004 and 2005. It applies to commercial, residential, and government systems up to 50kW, for photovoltaic, wind, and fuel cell technologies.

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