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Lawmakers are looking further into the future this year when it comes to Hawaii’s renewable energy goals.

Leaders of Hawaii’s energy and environmental committees hope to pass a law requiring the state to derive 100 percent of its electricity from renewable energy sources by 2050. The current goal is 40 percent renewable energy by 2030.

The new energy mandate would aid long-term energy planning and ensure that liquefied natural gas, if it is imported to Hawaii, is eventually phased out, said Rep. Chris Lee, chairman of the House Energy and Environmental Protection Committee.

The state has been moving forward on plans to import LNG in hopes of lowering consumer electricity bills. The new energy mandate would ensure that LNG remains a “bridge fuel” to more renewables.

Other top legislative priorities this year include modernizing the state’s electricity grids so they can accommodate more renewable energy, advancing clean energy transportation goals, extending the oil tax and a community renewable energy program that would allow more people to take advantage of solar energy.

Solar Flares

For the past two years, there have been contentious debates in the Legislature over the future of the state’s solar tax credits. Numerous bills were introduced, but nothing ever passed.

But this year, the tax credit issue is the least of the solar industry’s worries, said Leslie Cole-Brooks, executive director of the Hawaii Solar Energy Association, the state’s main solar lobbying group.

“Hopefully there won’t be any bills introduced,” she said.

Instead, the solar industry, clean energy advocates and lawmakers are focused on a more pressing problem: constraints on how much rooftop solar can be integrated into the electric utility grids.

The problem is particularly pressing on Oahu. Hawaiian Electric Co. introduced new rules in September that require customers in high solar saturation areas to undergo potentially costly studies and pay for technology upgrades in order to get their systems turned on. The new rules have led to widespread confusion among solar companies and customers and contributed to a significant drop in sales.

Lawmakers hope to bring greater security to the solar industry. “The idea is to ensure that interconnection happens at a reasonable cost and within a reasonable time frame for the consumer,” said Lee.

Sen. Mike Gabbard, chair of the Senate Energy and Environment Committee, is also pushing for legislation that requires state regulators to review the technological and economic obstacles to creating a modern grid system that can accept larger amounts of renewable energy. Another bill would create energy storage targets for the utilities, which would also help integrate more renewable energy into the grids without causing power disruptions.

Lawmakers and clean energy advocates are also pushing for legislation that would facilitate community-based renewable energy projects.

“Half or more of Hawaii residents are simply unable to participate in clean energy because they don’t have a roof directly above their head, they live in a shady area, a condo or are a renter,” said Jeff Mikulina, executive director of Blue Planet Foundation, a clean energy advocacy group.

Under the new energy program, a solar array would be placed in a communal area, such as on a warehouse rooftop or in a field. Neighboring residents would have access to the solar energy.

Hawaii’s Cars Still Puffing Exhaust

The state energy goal for electricity generation is the same for ground transportation: 40 percent clean energy by 2030. While Hawaii has made strides when it comes to electricity, it’s failing when it comes to transportation. Just 1.4 percent of the vehicles on the road are electric or hybrid vehicles, according to information from the state energy office.

This year, lawmakers hope to further state efforts by encouraging the introduction of hydrogen cars to the Hawaii market, boosting biodiesel and stimulating a market for biofuels that can be used to power automobiles.

One bill would build hydrogen fuel stations throughout the state, financed by a combination of public and private funding, said Lee.

Blue Planet Foundation is also pushing for legislation that requires that 5 percent of the diesel fuel sold in the state contain at least 5 percent locally produced biodiesel.

And Sen. Russell Ruderman, vice chair of the Senate Energy and Environment Committee, hopes to legalize industrial hemp so it can be harvested for biofuel.

Hawaii’s $1.05 barrel tax is also on the agenda this session. The oil tax is set to expire in June 2015.

Lawmakers hope to extend the deadline through 2030 and allocate a greater percentage of the tax to its original purpose: supporting energy and food security programs. Currently, only 30 cents of the tax goes toward these purposes.