Establishes an alternative fuels portfolio standard, requiring a percentage of all new motor vehicles sold in the State to be powered by alternative fuels, starting in 2008.

A BILL FOR AN ACT

SECTION 1. Hawaii imports one hundred per cent of all its transportation energy needs. This makes the State extremely vulnerable to any oil embargo, supply disruption, international market dysfunction, and many other factors beyond the control of the State. Furthermore, the continued consumption of conventional petroleum fuel further negatively impacts the environment.

The purpose of this Act is to establish an alternative fuel portfolio standard for motor vehicle fuels to move this State away from its nearly total dependency on imported petroleum.

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

"Part . alternative fuel portfolio standard

§269- Definitions. As used in this part:

"Alternative fuel" means methanol, denatured ethanol, and other alcohols; mixtures containing eighty-five per cent or more by volume of methanol, denatured ethanol, and other alcohols with gasoline or other fuels; natural gas; liquefied petroleum gas; hydrogen; coal-derived liquid fuels; biodiesel; mixtures containing twenty per cent or more by volume of biodiesel with diesel or other fuels; fuels (other than alcohol) derived from biological materials; electricity; and any other fuel that is substantially not a petroleum product that the public utilities commission determines would yield substantial energy security benefits or substantial environmental benefits.

"Life-cycle cost-effective factor" means the life-cycle costs of the new motor vehicle powered by alternative fuel that are estimated to be equal to or less than the life-cycle costs of a new motor vehicle of the same manufacturer and model powered by gasoline or diesel.

"Life-cycle costs" means the sum of the present values of capital costs, fuel costs, operating costs, maintenance costs, and disposal costs, over the lifetime of a new motor vehicle.

"New motor vehicle" and "new motor vehicle dealer" shall have the same meaning as set forth in section 437-1.1.

§269- Alternative fuel portfolio standard. All new motor vehicle dealers that import or cause to be imported into the State new motor vehicles for sale in the State shall include, at minimum, per calendar year, the following percentages of new motor vehicles that are powered by alternative fuels:

§269- New motor vehicle dealers reports. (a) After December 31, 2008, and on such reporting dates that the public utilities commission may establish, each new motor vehicle dealer shall file with the public utilities commission, on forms prescribed by the public utilities commission, a certified statement containing the following information for that reporting year:

(b) Any proprietary information that the public utilities commission determines to be confidential shall be held in confidence by the public utilities commission or aggregated to the extent necessary to ensure confidentiality as governed by chapter 92F, including its penalty provisions.

§269- Rules. The public utilities commission may adopt, amend, or repeal rules, pursuant to chapter 91, that it deems proper to fully effectuate this part."

SECTION 3. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.