SB230

SECTION 1. The legislature finds that the adoption of electric vehicles in the State has grown in recent years and is expected to continue to grow at increasing rates. There is a need for a network of charging infrastructure to support this growth and ensure that there is an equitable transition to clean transportation.

The legislature also finds that the clean energy transition will be facilitated by shifting energy demand from peak times to times during the day when renewable energy is abundant. Because of this need, the public utilities commission announced plans to implement a time-of-use pilot program to encourage people to shift energy use away from peak hours, under which rates will be higher between the hours of 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. and lower at other times of the day. Hawaiian Electric randomly selected nearly seventeen thousand residential and business customers primarily on Oahu and Hawaii island, with some eligible Maui customers who opt in, to participate in the one-year time-of-use pilot program, called Shift and Save, beginning in February 2024. The Shift and Save program will collect data and feedback to determine whether and how the program would apply to all customers in the future. In order to facilitate this shift, electric vehicle drivers will need access to workplace charging. In addition, workplace charging will offer a convenient option for charging, which may open up the possibility to purchase an electric vehicle for people who may not have access to charging at home, including many low- and moderate-income families. For these reasons, the legislature further finds that there is a need for more workplace charging infrastructure and that the State should lead by example by expanding workplace charging availability in state facilities.

The purpose of this Act is to:

(1) Require that if parking is to be included in any new state building construction, the design provide that at least twenty-five per cent of parking stalls be electric vehicle charger‑ready;

(2) Require the Hawaii state energy office to conduct a survey and identify certain high-priority state facilities having parking;

(3) Establish a goal of the State to retrofit state facilities to be electric vehicle charger-ready; and

(4) Appropriate funds to the department of accounting and general services to assess the costs of and install retrofits and electric vehicle charging systems at high-priority state facilities.

SECTION 2. Section 107-27, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsection (d) to read as follows:

"(d) Beginning July 1, 2023, where feasible and cost-effective, the design of all new state building construction shall:

(1) Maximize energy and water efficiency measures;

(2) Maximize energy generation potential; and

(3) Use building materials that reduce the carbon footprint of the project.

Beginning July 1, 2025, where feasible and cost-effective, the design of all new state building construction where parking is to be included shall provide that at least twenty-five per cent of parking stalls be electric vehicle charger-ready.

For the purposes of this subsection, "electric vehicle charger-ready" means having sufficient wiring, conduits, raceways, and termination points to support a minimum of 40‑ampere, 208 or 240-volt branch circuits, and electrical panel capacity suitable to provide Level 2 charging consistent with an alternating current Level 2 charging station, as defined in section 269-72."

SECTION 3. (a) The Hawaii state energy office, in consultation with the department of accounting and general services and the department of transportation, shall survey existing state facilities statewide that include parking and shall prioritize retrofitting these state facilities in accordance with readily available information, including location, expected future demand for charging, estimated costs for retrofits of parking stalls, other make-ready work, other planned improvements that would allow for electric vehicle charger-ready retrofit work to be performed at the same time, and other factors that the Hawaii state energy office deems relevant.

(b) The Hawaii state energy office shall submit a report to the legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the regular session of 2026. The report shall include the results of the survey conducted pursuant to subsection (a), identifying between four to ten high-priority state facilities to be retrofitted to include electric vehicle charging infrastructure.

SECTION 4. It shall be the goal of the State to retrofit state facilities to be electric vehicle charger-ready.

SECTION 5. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $200,000 or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2025-2026 and the same sum or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2026-2027 to conduct detailed cost assessments to determine the cost to install, or contract for the installation of, retrofits and electric vehicle charging systems at the high-priority state facilities identified pursuant to section 3 of this Act and to perform or contract for these installations.

The sums appropriated shall be expended by the department of accounting and general services for the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 6. New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 7. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2025.

INTRODUCED BY:	_____________________________

Report Title:

HSEO; DOT; DAGS; Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure; State Buildings; Retrofitting; Report; Appropriations

Description:

Requires that if parking is to be included in any new state building construction, the design provide that at least twenty-five per cent of parking stalls be electric vehicle charger-ready. Requires the Hawaii State Energy Office, in consultation with the Department of Accounting and General Services and the Department of Transportation, to conduct a survey and identify certain high-priority state facilities. Establishes a goal of the State to retrofit state facilities to be electric vehicle charger-ready. Requires a report to the Legislature. Appropriates funds.

The summary description of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.

THE SENATE	S.B. NO.	230
THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025
STATE OF HAWAII