SB 232: RELATING TO RENEWABLE ENERGY.

A BILL FOR AN ACT

relating to renewable energy.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

     SECTION 1.  The legislature finds that Act 97, Session Laws of Hawaii 2015, requires electric utilities in the State to achieve a one hundred per cent renewable portfolio standard by December 31, 2045, to transition the State away from imported fossil fuels and toward locally available renewable energy sources.

     The legislature further finds that to encourage the timely build-out of a diverse, resilient, and reliable portfolio of low-cost renewable energy generation and storage assets, Hawaii must lower the administrative barriers that constrain deployment of residential and commercial-scale distributed energy resources.

     The legislature further finds that existing permitting processes can add substantial time and cost to the adoption of residential solar and energy storage projects and that online permitting tools such as the United States Department of Energy's SolarAPP+ have been successfully implemented by hundreds of government entities that issue building permits throughout the nation.  The Legislature finds that Hawaii's permit-issuing government entities should similarly take advantage of these tools to help meet the State's clean energy, reliability, and resilience needs.

     The purpose of this Act is to reduce administrative barriers to the deployment of energy generation and storage technology systems by: (1) Requiring government entities in the State that issue building permits to implement SolarAPP+, or a functionally equivalent online automated permitting platform, that processes and issues permits to licensed contractors for solar distributed energy resource systems in real time by January 1, 2026; and

     (2) Requiring government entities in the State that issue building permits in areas served by an investor-owned electric utility to adopt a self-certification process for solar distributed energy resource systems that are not SolarAPP+ compatible.

     SECTION 2.  Chapter 196, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding two new sections to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

     "§196-A  Building permits; issuing entities; adoption of online automated permitting platform; solar distributed energy resource systems.  (a)  Any government entity in the State that issues building permits shall:

     (1)  By January 1, 2026, implement SolarAPP+ or a functionally equivalent online automated permitting platform that processes and issues permits to licensed contractors for solar distributed energy resource systems in real time; provided that the government entity shall adopt a self-certification process pursuant to section 196‑B for solar distributed energy resource systems that are not compatible with SolarAPP+, or a functional online equivalent, at the time the permit application is submitted to the government entity;

     (2)  Notify the Hawaii state energy office when it achieves compliance with the requirements of paragraph (1); and

     (3)  Submit annual notifications of its compliance with the requirements of paragraph (1) to the Hawaii state energy office.

     (b)  In issuing building permits in compliance with subsection (a), the applicable government entity in the State may promote the use of labor standards, including but not limited to living wages, benefits, and requirements for participation in state-approved apprenticeship programs.

     (c)  As used in this section:

     "SolarAPP+" means the web-based portal and associated software tools developed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, as updated from time to time.

     "Solar distributed energy resource system" means an assembly of solar energy-generating or energy-storing materials, or any combined assembly of solar energy-generating and energy-storing materials, and the related infrastructure necessary for its operation.

     §196-B  Adoption of self-certification for solar distributed energy resource systems; permit; approval; notice.  (a)  Any government entity in the State that issues building permits in any area of the State served by an investor-owned electric utility shall establish a self-certification process for residential and commercial on-site solar distributed energy resource systems that deems permit applications approved and allows applicants to proceed to build immediately; provided that the government entity receives written notice from:

     (1)  The project owner, or an agent of the project owner, that the owner or agent requests issuance of the permit and is prepared to pay any required fees; and

     (2)  The duly licensed architect, duly licensed engineer, duly licensed electrician, or duly licensed plumber, as applicable, who intends to install the solar distributed energy resource system that the installation of the system complies with all applicable codes and laws.

     (b)  A permit application or self-certification for a solar distributed energy resource system shall not require submission of an approved materials and methods number; provided that the following are submitted with the license holder's written notification pursuant to subsection (a):

     (1)  A manufacturer specification sheet;

     (2)  An installation and operations manual; and

     (3)  A UL or other national testing laboratory certification.

     (c)  If the requirements of subsection (a) are satisfied, the applicable government entity in the State that issues building permits shall issue the building permit number and close the permit within thirty days of submittal.

     (d)  As used in this section, "solar distributed energy resource system" has the same meaning as defined in section 196‑A."

     SECTION 3.  In codifying the new sections added by section 2 of this Act, the revisor of statutes shall substitute appropriate section numbers for the letters used in designating the new sections in this Act.

     SECTION 4.  New statutory material is underscored.

     SECTION 5.  This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

Report Title:

Solar Distributed Energy Resource Systems; Building Permits; Online Automated Permitting Platform; Self-Certification Process

Description:

Requires government entities in the State that issue building permits to implement SolarAPP+ or a functionally equivalent online automated permitting platform that verifies code compliance and issues permits to licensed contractors for solar distributed energy resource systems in real-time by 1/1/2026.  Requires government entities in the State that issue building permits in areas served by an investor-owned electric utility to adopt a self-certification process for solar distributed energy resource systems that are not SolarAPP+ compatible.

The summary description of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.