Bill > HB1019

This bill expands Hawaii's existing Renewable Hydrogen Program to include long duration clean energy storage technologies, with a particular focus on identifying and promoting potential pumped storage hydropower locations. The legislation acknowledges the challenges of extreme weather and climate change on energy supply, and aims to enhance energy storage capabilities to mitigate potential disruptions. The bill modifies two existing statutes to broaden the scope of the state's renewable energy program, expanding the program's responsibilities to include engineering and economic evaluations of potential long duration clean energy storage sites, with emphasis on maximizing ecological, social, and economic benefits while minimizing negative impacts on cultural heritage and agricultural land. The bill also expands the Hydrogen Investment Special Fund to allow seed capital and venture capital investments in long duration clean energy storage projects, and appropriates funding from the energy security special fund to support these activities. The key modifications aim to align with the U.S. Department of Energy's goal of reducing long duration storage costs by 90% by 2031 and to support Hawaii's transition to a more resilient and sustainable energy infrastructure.

Agriculture and Natural Resources, Budget and Finance

https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=HB&billnumber=1019&year=2026