STAND. COM. REP. NO. 606

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2025

RE: H.B. No. 1019

H.D. 1

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Madame:

Your Committee on Energy & Environmental Protection, to which was referred H.B. No. 1019 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO LONG DURATION CLEAN ENERGY STORAGE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Expand the Hawaii Renewable Hydrogen Program to include identification of likely pumped storage hydropower locations, or sites for other long duration clean energy storage technologies, and promotion of their development and rename it as the Hawaii Renewable Hydrogen and Long Duration Clean Energy Storage Program;

(2) Expand the use of the Hydrogen Investment Special Fund to include seed capital and venture capital investments for the Hawaii Renewable Hydrogen and Long Duration Clean Energy Storage Program; and

(3) Appropriate funds for the Hawaii Renewable Hydrogen and Long Duration Clean Energy Storage Program.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism; Hawaii State Energy Office; Hawaiʻi Center for Advanced Transportation Technologies; Hawaiʻi Gas; and one individual.

Your Committee finds that the State must ensure that it has the ability to store locally produced clean energy in the event that there are disruptions to the supply and availability of imported energy commodities. This measure addresses this need by expanding the Hawaii Renewable Hydrogen Program to include identification of likely pumped storage hydropower locations or sites for other clean energy storage technologies and providing seed capital and investments for the Hawaii Renewable Hydrogen and Long Duration Clean Energy Storage Program.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the appropriation to an unspecified amount;

(2) Changing the effective date to July 1, 3000, to encourage further discussion; and

(3) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

Your Committee respectfully requests your Committee on Finance, should it deliberate on this measure, to consider an appropriation amount of $3,500,000 for the Hawaii Renewable Hydrogen and Long Duration Clean Energy Storage Program.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Energy & Environmental Protection that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1019, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1019, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Energy & Environmental Protection,

____________________________

NICOLE E. LOWEN, Chair