Hawaii
Hawaii has made significant progress on climate action, being the first state to legally commit to a carbon negative economy in 2045.
Legislative Profile
Governor: Josh Green (D)
House: Democratic supermajority
Senate: Democratic supermajority
U.S. Climate Alliance Member
Key Resources
Emissions Reduction Targets
By 2030:
50%
By 2045:
Carbon Negative
Targets relative to 2005 levels
2019 GHG Emissions By Sector (%)
- Commercial
- Electric
- Residential
- Industrial
- Transportation
- Agriculture
Source: EPA State Inventory Tool (SIT)
Use the + icons in each policy area below to explore climate policy that has been passed at the state level, with links to relevant legislation and trackers. Policies in gray have not yet been passed in this state.
Climate Governance & Equity
Climate Governance
Greenhouse Gas Targets
Emissions Reduction Target
50% by 2030 | Carbon negative by 2045 Relative to 2005 levels
Mandate Source
2030: Mandatory – Act 238 (HB 1800 CD2) (2022)
2045: Mandatory – Act 15 (HB 2182) (2018)
Climate Action Plan
Decarbonization plan required by Act 238 (HB 1800 CD2) (2022)
Plan Status
In Progress – Due 20 days before the 2024 legislative session start
Climate Bureaucracy
Interagency Commissions/Task Forces
Hawai’i Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Commission
Non-Governmental Advisory Bodies
Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory
1990-2019 GHG Emissions Inventory (April 2023)
Mandate Source
Green Bank
Hawaii Green Energy Market Securitization Program
Establishing Legislation
Lead by Example
ACEEE Score – 1 out of 1 point**
Public Fleet ZEV Requirements
HB 552 (2021) – For the state’s light-duty vehicle fleet: 30% are ZEVs by 2025 | 60% are ZEVs by 2030 | 100% are ZEVs by 2035
Equity
Environmental Justice Community Designation
State EJ Mapping Tools
EJ Community Benefit Requirement
EJ Bureaucracy
**The ACEEE Energy Efficiency Scorecard analyzes the policies and programs states adopt to save energy in public sector buildings and transportation fleets. States can earn up to 1 point.
Adaptation & Resilience
Electricity
Renewables and Energy Storage
Greenhouse Gas Targets
Renewable Portfolio Standard
Distributed Generation/Solar Carve-out
SPOT Components – 0 out of 5*
Net Metering
SPOT Components – 2 out of 11*
Energy Storage Standard
SPOT Components – 3 out of 5*
Shared Renewables
SPOT Components – 4 out of 6*
Grid and Utility Reform
Clean Energy Plan
Grid Modernization Plan
The GridWise Alliance’s Grid Modernization Index (GMI) evaluates and ranks the status of grid modernization efforts across all 50 states and D.C.
50-state Ranking – 15th
Interconnection Standards
SPOT Components – 5 out of 6*
Utility Green Power Option
SPOT Components – 0 out of 6*
New Utility Business Model Proceeding
SPOT Components – 5 out of 5*
Carbon Pollution Pricing
*The State Policy Opportunity Tracker (SPOT) breaks clean energy policies down into “components”, which are binary questions to evaluate policy quality. Higher quality policies have more of their SPOT components fulfilled.
Buildings & Efficiency
Building Energy Codes
Residential Codes
SPOT Components – 4 out of 6*
Statewide code – 2018 IECC with amendments
Commercial Codes
SPOT Components – 3 out of 6*
Statewide code – Home rule
Stretch or Reach Codes
*The State Policy Opportunity Tracker (SPOT) breaks clean energy policies down into “components”, which are binary questions to evaluate policy quality. Higher quality policies have more of their SPOT components fulfilled.
Efficiency Programs and Incentives
Weatherization Programs
SPOT Components – 1 out of 4*
Energy Auditing Programs
Retrocommissioning Programs
Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE)
SPOT Components – 2 out of 10*
Energy Savings Performance Contracting
SPOT Components – 5 out of 5*
Standards and Market Mechanisms
Energy Efficiency Resource Standard
SPOT Components – 3 out of 5*
Building Performance Standard (BPS)
Appliance Performance Standard (APS)
Carbon Pollution Pricing
Buildings Data Disclosure
Required for all residential buildings
HB 1801 CD1 (2022) – Requires energy benchmarking and data disclosure for public buildings
Transportation
Vehicle Standards and Incentives
Low-Emission Vehicle (LEV) Standards
Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Mandates
Medium- and Heavy-Duty Vehicle (MHDVs) Sales Standards
Electric Vehicle Incentives
SPOT Components – 1 out of 5*
Charging Infrastructure Incentives
SPOT Components – 3 out of 5*
Carbon Pollution Pricing
Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS)
*The State Policy Opportunity Tracker (SPOT) breaks clean energy policies down into “components”, which are binary questions to evaluate policy quality. Higher quality policies have more of their SPOT components fulfilled.
State Planning and Investment
Greenhouse Gas Targets
Decarbonization Plan
EV and EV Charging Infrastructure Plans
EV Transit Bus Deployment
The ACEEE Transportation Electrification Scorecard analyzes the level of investment and policies states adopt to procure electric transit buses. States can earn up to 6 points.
ACEEE Score – 1 out of 6 points
Bicycle Friendly State
The League of American Bicyclists’ State Report Cards evaluate and rank the safety and efficiency of active transportation systems across all 50 states.
50-state Ranking – 27th
Agriculture
Soil Health and Regenerative Agriculture Governance
Financial Incentives
Act 185 (SB 3325 CD1) (2022) – Establishes the Hawaii Carbon Smart Land Management Assistance Pilot Program
Technical Assistance & Education Programs
SB 3197 (2022) – Establishes a farmer apprenticeship mentoring program to improve soil health