SR 171: urging the public utilities commission to hold at least two public community meetings to discuss and receive input from the community or potential major energy projects before approving major energy projects that would be hosted in the affected communities.

SENATE RESOLUTION

urging the public utilities commission to hold at least two public community meetings to discuss and receive input from the community or potential major energy projects before approving major energy projects that would be hosted in the affected communities.

     WHEREAS, the State is on a path to one hundred percent renewable energy by 2045, with significant investment in energy infrastructure including utility-scale solar and wind farms, battery storage, grid modernization, electric vehicle charging, and firm power generation plants; and

     WHEREAS, the benefits of the State's clean energy transition, however, have not been shared equitably, with the ability of wealthy homeowners to install rooftop solar and access tax credits and rebates while renters, apartment residents, and working families still pay some of the highest electric rates in the nation; and

     WHEREAS, rural families, low-income households, and Native Hawaiian communities continue to lack access to the benefits of major energy projects that are sited near them and are disproportionately impacted by energy infrastructure; and

     WHEREAS, major energy projects can be approved without community input which fosters conflict, lawsuits, and delays for construction that derail the State's clean energy goals; and

     WHEREAS, addressing the inequity of electricity bills in proportion to income between working families and wealthy households must be a state priority; and

     WHEREAS, major energy projects should therefore be subjected to energy equity impact assessments and community input in order to protect working families from elevated costs and promote local economic opportunity; now, therefore,

     BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Thirty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2026, that the Public Utilities Commission is urged to hold at least two public community meetings to discuss and receive input from the community on a potential major energy project before approving a major energy project that would be hosted in the affected community; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that for the purposes of the public community meetings, "major energy project" is requested to mean projects with a total capital cost of $10,000,000 or greater, or that require public utilities commission approval, including but not be limited to:

     (1)  Utility-scale solar photovoltaic systems;

     (2)  Wind energy generating facilities;

     (3)  Battery storage systems;

     (4)  Grid modernization and transmission systems;

     (5)  Electric vehicle charging infrastructure;

     (6)  Geothermal energy facilities;

     (7)  Firm power generating facilities; and

     (8)  Utility rate cases affecting residential customer rates; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a certified copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the Public Utilities Commission.

Report Title: 

PUC; Major Energy Projects; Community Meetings