SB2624 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 so that the Hawaii energy policy forum may continue to implement 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 section 2 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. (a) Act 254, Session Laws of Hawaii 2007, appropriated funds to the University of Hawaii social sciences public policy center to enable 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.

In August 2007, the Hawaii energy policy forum convened the energy-efficiency transportation strategies working group to develop the parameters of the study. The working group members included representatives from the department of transportation, the department of business, economic development, and tourism, each county's transportation division, labor organizations, transportation planning organizations, petroleum refineries, and the automobile dealers and manufacturers industries.

The working group developed a vision of "an energy-efficient transportation system that integrated effective community input and planning (demand), and offered 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."

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

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

(2) Increase 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) Diversify 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.

(b) The working group also agreed upon the following:

(1) In order to agree upon specific transportation energy-efficiency benchmarks and goals for the State as required in Act 254, additional review of relevant data is needed. The data that should be considered by the working group 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 its 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 benchmarks that would be recommended, a statewide transportation sector energy-efficiency information and monitoring system should be established and maintained.

(c) The purpose of this Part is to appropriate funds for the Hawaii energy policy forum to continue its work with the energy-efficiency transportation strategies working group created in response to Act 254, to develop energy-efficient transportation strategies.

SECTION 5. (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, the department of transportation, and members of the energy-efficient transportation strategies working group. The working group shall be selected by the Hawaii energy policy forum and shall be comprised of appropriate corporate, private, and government representatives.

(b) The energy-efficient transportation strategies study under subsection (a) shall include but not be limited to:

(1) Determining data available among government and business sources pertinent to energy-efficient transportation strategies;

(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 University of Hawaii social sciences public policy center and the Hawaii energy policy forum shall continue to engage and integrate the energy-efficiency transportation strategies working group to engage 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 the members of the energy-efficiency transportation strategies working group shall consult with and otherwise assist the University of Hawaii social sciences public policy center and the Hawaii energy policy forum on the energy-efficient transportation strategies study.

(e) The Hawaii energy policy forum shall submit an interim report 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, including any proposed legislation, 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 for conducting a study on energy-efficient transportation strategies.

The sum appropriated shall be expended by the University of Hawaii for the purposes of section 5 of this Act.

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

THE SENATE	S.B. NO.	2624
TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2008		S.D. 1
STATE OF HAWAII