STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1248

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.B. No. 344

H.D. 1

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Energy and Intergovernmental Affairs and Government Operations, to which was referred H.B. No. 344, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

(1) Require the design of all new state building construction where parking is to be included to provide that at least twenty-five percent of parking stalls be electric vehicle charger-ready;

(2) Require the Hawaii State Energy Office, in consultation with the Department of Accounting and General Services and Department of Transportation, to conduct a survey and identify certain high-priority state facilities;

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

(4) Require a report to the Legislature; and

(5) Appropriate funds.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Accounting and General Services, Hawaii State Energy Office, Hawaiʻi Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Commission, Oahu Metropolitan Planning Organization, Hawaii Electric Vehicle Association, Carbon Cashback Hawaii, Kauai Climate Action Coalition, Ulupono Initiative, Climate Protectors Coalition, 350Hawaii.org, Hawaiian Electric, Coalition Earth, Kauai EV, Alliance for Automotive Innovation, and twenty-seven individuals.

Your Committees received comments on this measure from the Disability and Communication Access Board.

Your Committees find that the adoption of electric vehicles in Hawaii has grown in recent years and is expected to continue to grow at increasing rates. Your Committees note that increasing electric vehicle use reduces carbon emissions from ground transportation and helps to achieve the State's goals of reducing carbon emissions to fifty percent by 2030 and establishing a net-negative carbon economy by 2045. However, your Committees recognize that there is a lack of adequate charging infrastructure in the State. Your Committees further find that workplace charging can shift charging demand from peak hours, typically in the early evening, to times during the day when renewable energy is more economical and plentiful. Your Committees believe that the State should lead by example by expanding workplace charging availability in state facilities. This measure addresses this need by establishing certain requirements and goals for state facilities to provide electric vehicle charging infrastructure, ensuring greater equity for electric vehicle charging infrastructure to support the State's clean energy goals.

According to testimony received by your Committees, expanding the scope of the survey of existing state facilities that include parking to also include state-owned parking lots that serve a state facility, regardless of whether the lots are physically attached to a building, would better support the goal of increasing electric vehicle charging availability statewide. Your Committees further note that, although level 2 charging stations are the preferred standard for new construction, allowing the installation of level 1 and level 3 charging infrastructure when retrofitting high-priority sites could provide cost effective and larger charging need capabilities where needed. Amendments to this measure are therefore necessary to address these matters.

Accordingly, your Committees have amended this measure by:

(1) Requiring the Hawaii State Energy Office to:

(A) Include in its survey of existing state facilities, state-owned parking lots that serve a state facility, regardless of whether the lots are physically attached to a building; and

(B) Consider retrofitting high-priority sites with level 1 or level 3 charging, where appropriate;

(2) Amending section 1 to reflect its amended purpose; and

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

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Energy and Intergovernmental Affairs and Government Operations that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 344, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 344, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Energy and Intergovernmental Affairs and Government Operations,

________________________________ ANGUS L.K. MCKELVEY, Chair

________________________________ GLENN WAKAI, Chair