HR63

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.R. NO.	63
THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025
STATE OF HAWAII

HOUSE RESOLUTION

requesting the department of transportation to facilitate and accelerate the adoption of sustainable aviation fuels to decarbonize Hawaiʻi's transportation sector and support the state's climate goals.

WHEREAS, the transportation sector is the single largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions in the State, accounting for approximately forty-eight percent of total emissions in Hawaiʻi, compared to roughly thirty percent for the rest of the United States; and

WHEREAS, aviation plays a critical role in Hawaiʻi's transportation system, supporting tourism, commerce, and essential interisland travel; and

WHEREAS, aviation is also a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions within the transportation sector; and

WHEREAS, sustainable aviation fuels, produced from renewable feedstocks such as agricultural waste, used cooking oils, and algae, offer a viable and immediate solution to significantly reduce the lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions associated with air travel; and

WHEREAS, several states, including California, Illinois, Minnesota, Oregon, and Washington, have enacted legislation and established policies to encourage the production, distribution, and adoption of sustainable aviation fuels; and

WHEREAS, the Hawaiʻi State Energy Office's 2023 report, Hawaiʻi Pathways to Decarbonization, identifies increasing the use of renewable liquid fuels, including sustainable aviation fuels, as essential for the State to achieve its goal of net‑zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2045; and

WHEREAS, Act 226, Session Laws of Hawaii 2023, established zero-emission goals for all modes of transportation, including ground, interisland air, and interisland sea transportation; and

WHEREAS, the settlement agreement in Navahine v. Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation acknowledges the constitutional right of Hawaiʻi's youth to a life-sustaining climate and commits the State to developing a comprehensive Greenhouse Gas Reduction Plan within one year to decarbonize Hawaiʻi's transportation system over the next twenty years; and

WHEREAS, the adoption and acceleration of sustainable aviation fuel usage is critical for achieving the State's climate goals, supporting its commitments under the Navahine v. Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation settlement, and ensuring the long-term sustainability of Hawaiʻi's transportation and tourism sectors; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Thirty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2025, that the Department of Transportation is requested to facilitate and accelerate the adoption of sustainable aviation fuels across Hawaiʻi's aviation sector to decarbonize Hawaiʻi's transportation sector and support the State's climate goals; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Transportation is requested to work in collaboration with the Hawaiʻi State Energy Office, major airlines serving Hawaiʻi, fuel producers, and other stakeholders to establish policies, incentives, and infrastructure to support the production, distribution, and use of sustainable aviation fuels in the State; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Transportation is requested to integrate sustainable aviation fuel adoption into the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Plan required by the Navahine v. Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation settlement agreement; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Transportation is requested to submit a report on the progress made in facilitating the adoption and acceleration of sustainable aviation fuels, including any proposed legislation to further support this effort, to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2026; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Governor, Director of Transportation, and Chief Energy Officer of the Hawaiʻi State Energy Office.

	OFFERED BY:	_____________________________