SB2625

SECTION 1. Act 254, Session Laws of Hawaii 2007, (Act 254) 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 include representatives from the state department of transportation, the department of business, economic development, and tourism, each county’s transportation division, labor organizations, transportation planning organizations, petroleum refineries, and from the automobile dealers and manufacturers 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."

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.

The working group also agreed upon the following:

(1) In order to agree upon specific transportation energy-efficiency benchmarks and goals for the State of Hawaii 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, county, and city jurisdictions 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.

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 in response to Act 254, 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, the department of transportation, and members of the energy-efficient transportation strategies working group. The working group shall comprise representatives from the following:

(1) Each of the counties;

(2) The office of Hawaiian affairs;

(3) The research corporation of the University of Hawaii;

(4) The Hawaii natural energy institute;

(5) The Oahu metropolitan planning organization;

(6) Honolulu Clean Cities;

(7) The Hawaii Center for Advanced Transportation Technologies;

(8) The Hawaii State AFL-CIO;

(9) The Hawaii Auto Dealers Association;

(10) The Hawaii Transportation Association;

(11) The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers;

(12) Energy Industries;

(13) Tesoro Hawaii Corporation; and

(14) The Hawaiian Electric Company.

(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 a report on 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 $175,000 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 social sciences public policy center for the purposes of this Act.

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

INTRODUCED BY:	_____________________________

THE SENATE	S.B. NO.	2625
TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2008
STATE OF HAWAII