Aloha!  The State of Hawaii has a bold energy agenda – to achieve 100 percent clean energy by the year 2045. Along with reducing our islands’ dependency on fossil fuels and increasing efficiency measures, the clean energy plan is also contributing to the state’s economic growth. Because Hawaii is committed to re-powering the clean energy market, we have embraced bold solutions that will help develop this competitive industry making Hawaii one of the leaders in the clean energy race.

The Hawaii State Energy Office is leading the charge and has embarked on a strategic plan to position Hawaii as a proving ground for clean energy technologies and accelerate our transformation to a clean energy economy.

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Share Your Manao: Multi-State Medium- and Heavy Duty Zero Emission Vehicle Draft Action Plan

As one of the signatories of the Multi-State Medium- and Heavy-Duty (MHD) Zero-Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), the Hawai‘i State Office is inviting residents to comment on the draft Multi-State MHD ZEV Action Plan recently released by the Northeast States for Coordinated Air Use Management (NESCAUM).

The draft Multi-State MHD ZEV Action Plan is available for public comment through NESCAUM’s Public Input Portal by April 25, 2022.  

The draft Action Plan discusses the barriers and opportunities associated with electrifying MHD vehicles, including large trucks, vans, and buses; underscores the importance of an equitable transition to MHD ZEVs; and prioritizes deployment of these vehicles in frontline and overburdened communities disproportionately impacted by air pollution and climate change. With a focus on near-term strategies, the draft Action Plan includes more than 60 recommendations for state policymakers to promote the rapid, equitable, and widespread deployment of MHD ZEVs, including:  

• Sales and fleet purchase requirements;
• Vehicle and infrastructure purchase incentives;
• Electric utility and utility regulator actions;
• Innovative financing for fleet conversions;
• Outreach and education;
• Economic equity, workforce development, and interagency coordination;
• Community air monitoring;
• Long-haul and community trucking infrastructure planning and deployment; and
• Areas for ongoing multi-state research and policy

 The participating jurisdictions include the states of California, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii , Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington, the District of Columbia, and the Canadian province of Quebec. Pursuant to the MOU, NESCAUM assisted the participating jurisdictions with the development of the draft Action Plan through the Multi-State ZEV Task Force.  

Clean Energy Wayfinders Program 

The Clean Energy Wayfinders is a new program intended to advance Hawaii’s clean energy goals through addressing inequities in vulnerable communities by creating jobs that launch a new generation of clean energy leaders.