HB2003 SD1

PART I

SECTION 1. The Hawaii energy policy forum comprises a diverse group of stakeholders representing the renewable energy industry, electric utilities, labor organizations, oil and natural gas suppliers, environmental groups, and federal, state and local government, including representatives from the neighbor islands. The vision of the policy forum is to develop smart energy solutions to sustain a healthy, prosperous, and secure Hawaii. Its mission is to be a collaborative forum for sharing ideas and information, seeking consensus, recommending and advocating policies and initiatives, and promoting civic action to achieve a preferred energy future for Hawaii. Since its inception in 2002, the policy forum, in cooperation with the legislature and the administration, has led the efforts to initiate a number of improvements to Hawaii's energy laws and policies. It has held a number of informational briefings that have been free and open to the public in its effort to educate Hawaii's residents about energy issues.

A unique feature of the policy forum is its Ten Point Plan: an action plan that identifies specific areas of interest on which the forum will focus. It includes specific action items for each point and methods to achieve each goal. As with all the policy forum's outcomes, the Ten Point Plan is determined by a consensus of the policy forum's membership. The policy forum updated its Ten Point Plan in August 2007 to take into account the initiatives that have been passed in the years since the forum's inception and the work that remains to be completed.

Although much has been accomplished in the past few years to position Hawaii as one of the leaders of renewable energy and energy efficiency in the country, there is much more that must be done. The cost of oil has increased substantially during 2007, and this is expected to have a profound negative effect on Hawaii's economic well-being. This requires yet more steps be taken to reduce Hawaii's dependence on fossil fuels. Therefore, it is imperative that the policy forum continue its collaborative work with all energy stakeholders to ensure that Hawaii has a sustainable, renewable, and affordable energy future.

The purpose of this part is to appropriate funds for the Hawaii energy policy forum to continue:

Implementing the vision, concepts, and recommendations of the updated ten point plan to meet Hawaii's energy goals. This will allow stakeholders to continue their work from planning to implementation, and it will permit further engagement of policymakers, decision-makers, and consumers on issues relevant to creating Hawaii's preferred energy future.

SECTION 2. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $ or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2008-2009 to continue the work of the Hawaii energy policy forum for the purpose of:

(1) Implementing the detailed action plans to achieve the Hawaii energy policy forum's Ten Point Plan to meet Hawaii's energy goals;

(2) Monitoring energy-related policies and programs to continually assess and update tangible goals, objectives, desired outcomes, and actions to achieve the energy vision and goals of the Hawaii energy policy forum;

(3) Continuing to refine and evaluate benchmarks for measuring outcomes of energy implementation strategies;

(4) Continuing to engage Hawaii's business, government, labor, and community leaders and integrate them into the policy activities and discussions of the Hawaii energy policy forum; and

(5) Continuing to educate the greater community and create public awareness about Hawaii's energy needs.

The sum appropriated shall be expended by the University of Hawaii at Manoa for the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 3. The Hawaii energy policy forum shall submit a report on the updated detailed action plan and timeline to the legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the regular session of 2009.

PART II

SECTION 4. Act 254, Session Laws of Hawaii 2007 (Act 254), appropriated funds to the Hawaii energy policy forum at the University of Hawaii at Manoa to conduct a study on energy-efficient transportation strategies in conjunction with the department of business, economic development, and tourism. Act 254 required that the study include the following criteria in its analysis:

(1) Developing tangible goals, objectives, desired outcomes, and actions to implement an energy-efficient transportation strategy;

(2) Developing implementation benchmarks for measuring outcomes of energy-efficient transportation strategies; and

(3) A cost-benefit analysis of each energy-efficient transportation strategy.

The Hawaii energy policy forum then convened a working group in August 2007 to develop the parameters of the study. The energy-efficient transportation strategies working group is a diverse group whose members include representatives from the department of transportation, the department of business, economic development, and tourism, each county’s transportation agency, labor organizations, transportation planning organizations, petroleum refineries, and the automobile sales and manufacturing industries.

The working group developed a vision of an energy-efficient transportation system that integrates effective community input and planning (demand), and offers people of all ages and walks of life flexible options (supply), including mass transit, private and public vehicles, and self-powered conveyance in alternative combinations that provide mobility at acceptable cost.

(b) The working group also established three goals on which the study should focus:

(1) Increasing choices for modes of travel: multiple modes of travel permit greater public choice for efficient and flexible trip planning;

(2) Increasing fuel efficiency of vehicle population: incentives to improve the fuel efficiency of Hawaii's vehicle population will influence consumer behavior in favor of buying and using more efficient vehicles; and

(3) Diversifying energy sources available to meet transportation energy needs: greater diversity of energy sources provides additional flexibility in meeting the energy needs of the transportation sector.

(1) In order to agree upon specific transportation energy-efficiency benchmarks and goals for the State as required by Act 254, additional review of relevant data is needed. The data that the working group should consider includes transportation demand and fuel consumption data from the State and counties and their respective government agency sources.

(2) The State will be more likely to meet these goals and make progress toward meeting long-term benchmarks if current information on transportation system energy-efficiency is regularly available and changes in energy-efficiency of the transportation sector are regularly monitored; and

(3) In order to regularly monitor progress toward meeting the recommended benchmarks, a statewide transportation energy-efficiency information and monitoring system should be established and maintained.

The working group, however, agreed that specific outcomes, objectives, and benchmarks, as well as initiatives, would be developed without examining baseline data and developing a system that would monitor progress. The working group, therefore, agreed upon the strategies detailed in this Act for the coming year to build a foundation for the system.

The purpose of this part is to appropriate funds to the Hawaii Energy Policy forum to continue working with the energy-efficient transportation strategies working group created by Act 254, Session Laws of Hawaii 2007, to develop energy-efficient transportation strategies.

SECTION 5. The Hawaii energy policy forum at the University of Hawaii at Manoa shall conduct a study on energy-efficient transportation strategies in conjunction with the department of business, economic development, and tourism; department of transportation; each county; and other members of the energy-efficient transportation strategies working group.

The energy-efficient transportation strategies study shall include but not be limited to:

(1) Determining the availability of data from government and business sources;

(2) Identifying gaps in critical data; and

(3) Developing a reasonable and workable plan for developing, using, and maintaining a statewide transportation energy-efficiency information and monitoring system.

The social sciences public policy center at the University of Hawaii at Manoa shall continue to engage and integrate the energy-efficient transportation strategies working group, comprised of Hawaii's business, government, labor, and community leaders, into the study on energy-efficient transportation strategies.

The department of business, economic development, and tourism; the department of transportation; and other members of the working group shall consult and assist the social sciences public policy center at the University of Hawaii at Manoa on the energy-efficient transportation strategies study.

The Hawaii energy policy forum shall submit an interim report of its progress to the legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the regular session of 2009, and a final report of its findings and recommendations to the legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the regular session of 2010.

SECTION 6. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $ or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2008-2009 to collect and analyze data and to develop a plan for developing, using, and maintaining a statewide transportation energy-efficiency information and monitoring system.

The sum appropriated shall be expended by the social

sciences public policy center at the University of Hawaii at Manoa for the purpose of this Act.

SECTION 7. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2008.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.B. NO.	2003
TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2008		S.D. 1
STATE OF HAWAII