HB2004

SECTION 1. (a) Act 254, Session Laws of Hawaii 2007, 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-efficiency 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) Establishing multiple modes of travel to enable greater public choice for efficient and flexible trip planning;

(2) Increasing alternative fuel availability and diversity to give consumers more options for vehicle and fuel purchase and use that helps improve Hawaii's environment while reducing imported petroleum and petroleum products; and

(3) Providing financial incentives for improving the fuel efficiency of Hawaii's vehicle population to influence consumer behavior toward buying and using more efficient vehicles.

(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 sector 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 section 2(b) of this Act for the coming year to build the foundation for the system.

(d) The purpose of this Act is to appropriate funds for the Hawaii energy policy forum to continue its work with the energy-efficiency transportation strategies working group created by Act 254, Session Laws of Hawaii 2007, to develop energy-efficient transportation strategies.

SECTION 2. (a) 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.

(b) The energy-efficient transportation strategies study under subsection (a) 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 information and monitoring system.

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

(d) 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.

(e) The Hawaii energy policy forum shall submit a report of its findings and recommendations to the legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the regular session of 2009.

SECTION 3. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $250,000 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 information and monitoring system.

The sum appropriated shall be expended by the University of Hawaii social sciences public policy center for the purpose of this Act.

SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2008.

INTRODUCED BY:	_____________________________

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.B. NO.	2004
TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2008
STATE OF HAWAII