This legislative session was not very productive in terms of measures that support our transition to sustainable transportation. Big Island Now’s recent article, Hawai‘i House Passes 206 Bills on Final Decking, summarizes the key bills that passed, including a handful of transportation-related ones. Notable are HB1585 (a rebate program for the installation or upgrade of charging stations in commercial, workplace, and multi-unit dwelling sites) and SB 409 (a surcharge for EVs).

The rebate program that will be introduced with HB1585 is very positive. On the other hand, SB 409 is unfortunate. While an EV surcharge is inevitable, it’s really too soon for one. (We have under 9000 electric cars in the state, less the 1% of the over 1 million cars on our roads.) This surcharge will have the impact of deterrence while providing relatively low near-term benefit. Slowing down our transition to electrics means that we will rely on fossil fuel for a longer period, something that we cannot afford.

The next step is Governor Ige’s desk for signature. If you oppose SB 409, please consider calling the governor’s office to encourage him to do the right thing and veto SB409. The number is (808) 586-0034. His office is open from 7:30am to 4:30pm. If you prefer to write, send an email through the following form: https://governor.hawaii.gov/contac…/comments-on-legislation/

It was just last month when Governor Ige and other leaders signed the Declaration of Commitment to Sustainability for Hawaiʻi, and reiterated our state’s commitment to achieving our 2045 100% renewable energy goal. SB 409 runs counter to this commitment.

For details on the bills that passed, check out the Big Island Now’s article – Hawai‘i House Passes 206 Bills on Final Decking,