SB 700 Hawaii Senate · 2025 Regular Session

RELATING TO RENEWABLE ENERGY.

Summary

Requires the Hawaii State Energy Office, in collaboration with state departments, to assess the potential and feasibility of developing resilience hubs that can provide emergency services and be open to the general public during times of emergency. Requires a report to the Legislature. Effective 1/1/2491. (SD1)

Issues: ✓ Energy

Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2025

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Jan 17, 2025 Last action Feb 13, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

SB700 → SB700_SD1 · 6 edits

MODERATE

The bill was significantly rewritten from a detailed mandate requiring state facilities to install distributed energy systems by specific dates, to a simpler directive requiring the Hawaii State Energy Office to study the feasibility of creating public resilience hubs. The original version included specific implementation timelines and requirements for state agencies, while the new version removes those mandates and replaces them with a study requirement.

Scope change

The bill's scope shifted from requiring immediate implementation of distributed energy resources at state facilities to requiring a feasibility study for resilience hubs. The specific agency responsible for implementation changed from the Department of Accounting and General Services to the Hawaii State Energy Office.

REQUIREMENT

Removed mandatory requirement for state facilities to install distributed energy resource systems by January 1, 2026 and January 1, 2028.

Changed the primary action from installing energy systems to conducting a feasibility study for resilience hubs.

DEFINITION

Added a new definition for 'resilience hub' as a facility providing emergency services like shelter, food, water, medical care, and electricity to the public during emergencies.

TIMELINE

Changed the effective date from January 1, 2026 to January 1, 2491, and added a requirement to submit a feasibility report 20 days before the 2026 legislative session.

ELIGIBILITY

Removed specific eligibility criteria for facilities based on whether they had implemented section 36-41 since 2010.

SCOPE

Expanded the potential scope of resilience hubs to include facilities at both public and private locations, whereas the original version focused on state facilities only.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Feb 13, 2025

Committee

Reported from GVO/EIG (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 423) with recommendation of passage on Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referral to WAM.

upper

Feb 4, 2025

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on EIG recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in EIG were as follows: 5 Aye(s): Senator(s) Wakai, Chang, DeCoite, Richards, Fevella; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 0 Excused: none.

upper

Feb 4, 2025

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on GVO recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in GVO were as follows: 4 Aye(s): Senator(s) McKelvey, Moriwaki, San Buenaventura, Fevella; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 1 Excused: Senator(s) Gabbard.

upper

Jan 27, 2025

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on GVO/EIG has scheduled a public hearing on 01-30-25 3:00PM; Conference Room 225 & Videoconference.

upper

Jan 23, 2025

Committee

Referred to GVO/EIG, WAM.

upper

Jan 17, 2025

Introduced

Introduced.

upper

3 primary · 0 co-sponsors