The Maui News

Several new bills signed into law by Gov. Josh Green on Wednesday zero in on cleaner transportation and more energy-efficient products as Hawaii continues toward its goal of 100 percent clean energy by 2045.

Senate Bill 1024, now Act 226, establishes long-term goals and implements strategies that help to reduce and ultimately eliminate greenhouse gas emissions from Hawaii’s ground and interisland transportation sectors, according to a news release from the Governor’s Office. It also establishes a clean ground transportation working group and interisland transportation working group comprising Hawaii state agency heads and other stakeholders.

“Transportation produces the majority of Hawai’i’s emissions,” said Sen. Chris Lee, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Transportation and Culture and the Arts and author of the bill. “This bill will move Hawai’i toward zero emissions from land, sea, and air transportation, catalyzing investment in new local jobs, reducing future transportation costs, and building a cleaner Hawai’i economy for our next generation.”

Other bills also focus on the growing green transportation sector. Senate Bill 1534, now Act 222, creates a mileage-based road usage charge to replace state motor fuel taxes for electric vehicles beginning July 1, 2025. It eliminates the $50 annual state vehicle registration surcharge for electric vehicles and allows EV owners to pay a registration surcharge or a per-mile road usage fee until June 30, 2028.

The measure also requires the state Department of Transportation to plan for the deployment of a state mileage-based road user charge program by 2033 and submit a report to the Legislature.

Senate Bill 1173, now Act 223, prohibits a person from causing a diesel- or gas-powered vehicle to discharge clearly visible smoke, soot or other exhaust emissions onto another person or motor vehicle and establishes a minimum $500 fine for violators.

Other measures tackle the energy efficiency of products. House Bill 192, now Act 225, prohibits the sale of certain fluorescent lamps to reduce energy waste and quantities of mercury from such lamps. Ten other states have already adopted similar laws, the Governor’s Office said.

Under Senate Bill 691, now Act 224, the state energy officer can adopt rules to enforce or amend minimum efficiency standards for certain products. Starting in 2025, new portable electric spas, residential ventilating fans, toilets, urinals or water coolers manufactured on or after Jan. 1, 2025 must meet or exceed minimum efficiency standards in order to be sold, leased or rented in the state.

The Governor’s Office said this will provide product suppliers with ample time to bring more energy-efficient products to market.