THE SENATE	S.R. NO.	179
THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025		S.D. 1
STATE OF HAWAII

SENATE RESOLUTION

Affirming Hawaii's path to financial and economic security, resiliency, and self-DETERMINATION by Urging increased caution concerning foreign influence in hawaii's critical INFRASTRUCTURE AND calling on departments and agencies to accelerate the elimination of hawaii's dependence on imports serving critical infrastructure including fuels for electricity generation and intra-state transportation as soon as possible, but no later than 2045.

WHEREAS, foreign influence in Hawaii has a long history that has seen local residents often exploited for strategic gain, and held financially captive by others abroad, which has stolen opportunities for local economic and financial security, resiliency, and true self-determination; and

WHEREAS, among the concerns raised by growing foreign influence in the United States and Hawaii, protecting critical infrastructure such as airports and transportation hubs, freshwater systems, electrical grids, and telecommunications networks has been identified by federal authorities as an urgent security priority; and

WHEREAS, these critical infrastructure systems are essential to the State's local economy, public health and safety, and overall stability, making them prime targets for foreign interference; and

WHEREAS, numerous federal agencies responsible for national security have demonstrated that foreign governments, including those of adversarial countries, are actively seeking ways to access and control the United States' critical infrastructure; and

WHEREAS, foreign access to critical infrastructure may allow malicious actors to disrupt essential services, steal sensitive data, or compromise security; and

WHEREAS, even allied countries may inadvertently or intentionally exploit access to advance their own agendas, or whose foreign companies may operate with a primary legal and fiscal responsibility to ensure profit from Hawaiiʻs captive market, which may be at odds with the interests, security, resiliency, and self-determination of the people of Hawaii, especially because the interests and leadership of other countries may change suddenly or over time; and

WHEREAS, a cautious and strategic approach to foreign investment and influence is therefore critical to safeguarding the State's interests; and

WHEREAS, Hawaiiʻs long reliance on foreign imports serving critical infrastructure, such as imported fuels, has exacerbated the high cost of living for local residents, has exported billions of dollars out of the local economy each year, and has held local residents captive to foreign companies and influences out of the control of Hawaii’s local government, businesses, and residents; and

WHEREAS, the volatility of imported fuels, influenced by foreign markets, wars, uncertainty in production and distribution, and economic decisions by suppliers abroad, has led to significantly more uncertainty for Hawaii, and significantly more unreliable and unpredictable escalations in cost; and

WHEREAS, every dollar spent importing fuels from abroad is a dollar that could instead be invested in Hawaii to build infrastructure and provide for local production of Hawaii’s electricity and transportation needs, which would benefit local projects, jobs, and keep money circulating in the local economy, and in the long run eliminate the cost for imports providing critical services; and

WHEREAS, by limiting foreign influence and strengthening oversight of the State's critical infrastructure systems, the State can ensure the resilience and security of its infrastructure against evolving threats, preserve public trust, guard national security, and protect its interests; and

WHEREAS, Hawaii can best ensure economic security and a lower cost of living by limiting Hawaii’s reliance on imported fuels, and ensuring Hawaii maximizes its transition to local sourcing for electricity generation and intra-state transportation as quickly as possible, but no later than 2045; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Thirty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2025, that this body affirms Hawaii's path to financial and economic security, resiliency, and self-determination by urging increased caution concerning foreign influence in Hawaii's critical infrastructure and calling on departments and agencies to accelerate the elimination of Hawaii's dependence on all imported fuels for electricity generation and intra-state transportation as soon as possible, but no later than 2045; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this body calls for ending the State's reliance on all imported fuels for electricity generation as quickly as possible, but no later than 2045, to maximize long term cost reduction for local families, achieve increased energy security and resiliency; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this body calls for ending Hawaii's reliance on all imported fuels for intra-state transportation as quickly as possible, but no later than 2045, to maximize long term cost reduction for local families, achieve increased energy security and resiliency; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this body requests that the Department of Transportation, Public Utilities Commission, and all other departments and agencies to take action to decrease the State's reliance on imported fuels; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Governor, Director of Transportation, and Chairperson of the Public Utilities Commission.

Report Title:

Critical Infrastructure; Foreign Influence; Security