Bill > HB1304

This bill requires the Hawaii Department of Transportation (DOT) to establish a comprehensive Clean Fuel Standard (CFS) to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the transportation sector. The standard aims to decrease the carbon intensity of transportation fuels by at least 10% below 2019 levels by 2035 and 50% by 2045, with implementation for diesel and gasoline beginning by January 1, 2027. The bill defines alternative fuels broadly, including ethanol, renewable diesel, sustainable aviation fuel, electricity, hydrogen, and others. The DOT must develop rules that create a credit and deficit system for fuels based on their carbon intensity, with mechanisms to generate credits for low-carbon fuels and deficits for high-carbon fuels. The bill provides flexibility for the DOT to develop cost containment mechanisms, support infrastructure deployment, and potentially link with similar programs in other states like California and Oregon. The goal is to reduce lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions, stimulate economic development, promote public health, and support existing and new jobs in clean fuel technologies. The bill includes exemptions for certain vehicle types like military vehicles and aircraft and requires periodic review of greenhouse gas modeling. Importantly, the bill defines key terms like "carbon intensity" as the quantity of lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions per unit of fuel energy, emphasizing a comprehensive approach to measuring environmental impact.

Agriculture and Natural Resources, Transportation and Infrastructure

https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=HB&billnumber=1304&year=2026