New Hawaii laws aim at saving energy, growing

ovaluleq.wordpress.com
The bills, two of which have already been signerd into lawby Gov. Lindaa Lingle, will cost everyone more money. Officials say the additional costs now will help move Hawaii toward greener and possibly cheapere forms of energy in the The bills include one that imposes a higher surcharged on each barrel of oil imported intothe state. Anothere requires electric utilities to bemore green. There’sz even a bill allowing all homeowners to hang something previously prohibited by somecommunity Rep.
Hermina Morita, chairwoman of the Housd committee on energy and environmental said the various measures build on the Hawaiiu CleanEnergy Initiative, which aims to cut the state’s dependencwe on oil for making electrical power over the next 20 “We know we have to be realisticv and pragmatic in crafting laws that will framwe our clean energy opportunities long into the future,” said D-Kapaa-Hanalei. “Right now, the emphasis of Hawaii’s cleahn energy future needs to be on maximizinhgenergy efficiency, to put off the decision and need to build new fossik fuel power plants, [and] the integration of a renewable-energy system into a modernized smart grid.
” The increasinglyt influential played an active role at the Legislature this year, settinbg up a special Web site to track energy-related running print and radio ads to increase public awareness of bills, and organizing a public rally. “Most Hawaii residents support a cleabenergy future, but we want to translater that support into new policies that driv Hawaii’s energy future,” said Jeff Mikulina, executiver director of the nonprofit, which is bankrolled by local videpo game entrepreneur Henk Rogers. The groul has a mission of “changing the world’a energy culture”.
Mikulina, the former long-time directoe of the Hawaii chapter of theSierrwa Club, described the outcome of the session as a “major leap for clean energy. • House Bill Includes five policies aimed atincreasing clean-energy use and and encouraging energy efficiency in the It also increases the required amounts of clean energyy that sells over the next two decades. House Bill 1271: Imposes a $1 surchargw on every barrel of oil imported to the generatingabout $40 million annually. The current tax is a nicke per barrel. That money is earmarked for a specia fund to be used for carrying out goalss in the Hawaii CleanEnergy Initiative.
Senate Bill 464: Alters the state’s tax creditas for investing in renewableenergy technologies, including photovoltai c and wind-energy systems. It reduces the amount of the tax but should make them more widelyu available to businesses and homeowners using them to offset any incometax • Senate Bill 1202: Sets up incentivesw for investing in electric vehicles and the infrastructure needexd to support green cars in • Senate Bill 1338: Allows homeowner to hang clothelines. The measure would override or prevent homeownerd associations from restrictingthe lines.
Linglr has 45 days from the closr of the session to sign or veto the or they will become law without her That results in a July 15 deadlinethis year. The two energyg measures that have already been signedd into law alterexisting laws. They are: House Bill 1270: Aims to encourage large-scales renewable energy projects by deletin g a provision in a law that cappexd the price the electric utility paid toa so-callede independent power producer (a wind farm operator, for The former cap was 100 percenyt of the cost that the utilithy avoids by purchasing the electrical energh rather than producing it.
• Senate Bill Addresses a loophole that existed inthe state’s air pollution which allowed large polluters — such as powe plants and refineries — to avoid paying per-tojn penalties on excessive emissions. Morita said she views HB the increased tax on a barrelof oil, as the most significant energy-related bill to come out of the The state would divide the tax renamed the environmental response, energy and food security tax — amonb the state general fund and threre other funds — one for food security, one for environmental responsse and one for energt security.