HR 197 Hawaii House · 2026 Regular Session

REQUESTING THE PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION TO ENSURE THAT CERTAIN CONDITIONS ARE MET BEFORE APPROVING ANY INFRASTRUCTURE, OPERATIONS, MAINTENANCE, FUEL, OR OTHER COSTS RELATING TO SUPPLYING AND USING LIQUEFIED NATURAL GAS.

This House Resolution requests the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission to impose specific conditions before approving any costs related to liquefied natural gas infrastructure, operations, or fuel. The bill directly affects utility regulators, energy providers, and ratepayers by mandating that LNG investments be fully amortized by 2045, prohibiting take-or-pay fuel contracts, and ensuring no increased costs for customers in Hawaii, Kauai, or Maui. Key provisions require utilities to share fuel price volatility risks with customers, deny LNG costs if cheaper renewable alternatives exist, and consider how LNG approvals might impact renewable energy development. The resolution also asks the commission to evaluate risks of stranded assets and reliance on single fuel suppliers when determining cost reasonableness.
Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Mar 2026
Committee Review
Apr 2026
House Passage
Apr 2026
Senate Passage
Governor
Introduced Mar 16, 2026 Last action Apr 1, 2026
Floor votes

How they voted

This bill passed the House by voice vote (no roll call recorded).
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
6
Key actions
2
Committee
3
Apr 1, 2026
Lower · Passed
Report adopted; referred to the committee(s) on CPC with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and none excused (0).
lower
Apr 1, 2026
Committee
Reported from EEP (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1618-26), recommending referral to CPC.
lower
Mar 24, 2026
Lower · Passed
The committee on EEP recommend that the measure be PASSED, UNAMENDED. The votes were as follows: 5 Ayes: Representative(s) Lowen, Perruso, Chun, Kusch, Matsumoto; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and 2 Excused: Representative(s) Kahaloa, Quinlan.
lower
Mar 18, 2026
Committee
Referred to EEP, CPC, referral sheet 19
lower
Mar 16, 2026
Introduced
Offered
lower
14 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors