Bill > SB680

This bill seeks to remove biomass from the definition of "renewable energy" in Hawaii's renewable portfolio standards (RPS), which is a regulatory framework that requires electric utilities to source a certain percentage of their electricity from renewable sources. The bill provides extensive context about why biomass should no longer be considered a renewable energy source, highlighting that burning trees and waste for energy is actually more environmentally harmful than previously understood. Specifically, the legislation argues that burning trees contributes to climate change by releasing carbon dioxide and destroying trees that naturally remove greenhouse gases from the atmosphere, and that waste incineration releases significantly more carbon pollution than even coal burning. The bill would amend Hawaii Revised Statutes Section 269-91 by striking out biomass from the list of renewable energy sources, leaving wind, solar, falling water, biogas, geothermal, ocean energy, biofuels, and hydrogen produced from renewable sources as the approved renewable energy types. The legislature's rationale is to reduce electricity rates and greenhouse gas emissions by disincentivizing expensive and polluting biomass incineration, reflecting updated scientific understanding of the environmental impact of different energy sources.

Government Affairs

https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=SB&billnumber=680&year=2025