On June 8, 2015 Governor David Ige signed four energy bills into law, including the landmark HB623, making Hawaii the first state in the country to have a 100% renewable portfolio standard (RPS) for the electricity sector. State Energy Office administrator Mark Glick commented on Hawaii’s ability to lead the way in renewable energy. “Raising the bar for renewable energy in Hawai’i will also push the state to stay out in front on innovation. We are finding ways to be innovative both with technical solutions and financing structures that will help us meet our ambitious renewable energy goals.”
Governor Ige also signed bill SB1050, which will help democratize renewable energy by creating a structure that will allow renters, condominium owners, and others who have been shut out of Hawai’i’s clean energy transformation to purchase electricity generated at an off-site energy facility, such as a large-scale solar farm. The bill-turned-law will also provide relief to homeowners and businesses located on highly saturated circuits that cannot accommodate additional PV installations.
The Governor also signed bill HB1509, which will set a net-zero energy goal for the University of Hawai’i System, and bill HB1296, which will designate a state hydrogen implementation coordinator.
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