HB1981 • 2026

RELATING TO A PROGRAM TO CHARACTERIZE CARBON SEQUESTRATION POTENTIAL AND GEOTHERMAL AND UNDERGROUND WATER RESOURCES STATEWIDE.

Budget Energy Taxes Water

Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor: LOWEN, EVSLIN, ILAGAN, KAPELA, KEOHOKAPU-LEE LOY, KUSCH, MARTEN, MATAYOSHI, OLDS, TARNAS, TEMPLO, WOODSON
Last action: 2026-02-17
Official status: Passed Second Reading as amended in HD 1 and referred to the committee(s) on FIN with none voting aye with reservations; Representative(s) Pierick voting no (1) and Representative(s) Cochran, Lee, M., Poepoe excused (3).
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary does not provide specific details on how much funding will be appropriated or what actions/recommendations may come from the progress report.

Program to Study Carbon, Geothermal, and Water Resources

This bill establishes a program within the Hawaii State Energy Office to study carbon sequestration potential, geothermal energy sources, and underground water resources across Hawaii using slim hole bores and conducts an environmental assessment.

What This Bill Does

Establishes the Geothermal, Carbon Sequestration, and Underground Water Resource Characterization Program within the Hawaii State Energy Office.
Requires the program to use slim hole bores (holes less than seven inches in diameter) to study geothermal energy sources, carbon sequestration potential, and underground water resources across the state.
Requires conducting a statewide environmental assessment of the program's activities.
Requires meetings with counties and nearby communities before and during the environmental assessment to explain the purpose of the program and identify community needs and concerns.

Who It Names or Affects

The Hawaii State Energy Office
Communities near potential study sites
Counties in Hawaii

Terms To Know

Slim hole bores: Holes less than seven inches in diameter used for exploration and resource characterization.
Environmental assessment: A study to evaluate the environmental effects of a proposed action before it is taken.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify how much funding will be appropriated.
It is unclear what specific actions or recommendations the program may propose in its progress report.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

HD1

Hawaii published version HD1

Plain English: This amendment establishes a new program within the Hawaii State Energy Office to identify geothermal, carbon sequestration, and underground water resources using slim-hole bores and requires an environmental assessment.

Adds a new section in Chapter 196 of Hawaii Revised Statutes to establish a Geothermal, Carbon Sequestration, and Underground Water Resource Characterization Program within the Hawaii State Energy Office.
Requires the program to collaborate with the University of Hawaii's Hawaii Groundwater and Geothermal Resources Center for implementation.
Specifies that an environmental assessment or impact statement must be conducted upon finding any geothermal, carbon sequestration, or underground water resource.

The exact amount of funds appropriated is not specified in the amendment text provided.
The effective date listed (July 1, 3000) seems unusual and may be a placeholder or error.

Bill History

2026-02-17 H
Passed Second Reading as amended in HD 1 and referred to the committee(s) on FIN with none voting aye with reservations; Representative(s) Pierick voting no (1) and Representative(s) Cochran, Lee, M., Poepoe excused (3).
2026-02-17 H
Reported from EEP (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 312-26) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to FIN.
2026-02-03 H
The committee on EEP recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 7 Ayes: Representative(s) Lowen, Perruso, Chun, Kahaloa, Kusch, Quinlan; Ayes with reservations: Representative(s) Matsumoto; Noes: none; and Excused: none.
2026-01-30 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by EEP on Tuesday, 02-03-26 9:30AM in House conference room 325 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2026-01-28 H
Referred to EEP, FIN, referral sheet 3
2026-01-26 H
Introduced and Pass First Reading.
2026-01-23 H
Pending introduction.

Official Summary Text

RELATING TO A PROGRAM TO CHARACTERIZE CARBON SEQUESTRATION POTENTIAL AND GEOTHERMAL AND UNDERGROUND WATER RESOURCES STATEWIDE.
Hawaii State Energy Office; Carbon Sequestration; Water Resources; Geothermal Exploration; Appropriations ($)
Establishes a Geothermal, Carbon Sequestration, and Underground Water Resource Characterization Program via slim hole bores and a related statewide environmental assessment. Appropriates funds for the program. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

HB1981

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

1981

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026

STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

relating
to a program to characterize carbon sequestration potential and geothermal and underground
water resources statewide
.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

����
SECTION
1.
�
The legislature finds that a better
understanding of the carbon sequestration potential and location and
temperature of geothermal and underground water resources across the State can
have multiple benefits to agriculture, clean energy, and land use.

����
The
legislature further finds that resource characterization via slim-hole bores,
which have a diameter of seven inches or less for over ninety per cent of the
depth of the bore, can identify geothermal, carbon sequestration, and water
resources across the State.

����
The
legislature additionally finds that a statewide environmental assessment of a
slim-hole exploration program should be conducted, along with robust and
continued community engagement, to identify the most appropriate locations for
this scientific activity.

����
The
purpose of this Act is to require the Hawaii state energy office to implement a
slim-hole resource characterization program that identifies the location and
characteristics of geothermal, carbon sequestration, and underground water
resources across the State in collaboration with the Hawaii groundwater and
geothermal resources center at the university of Hawaii.

����
SECTION
2.
�
Chapter 196, Hawaii Revised Statutes,
is amended by adding a new section to part I to be appropriately designated and
to read as follows:

����
"
�196-
�
Geothermal, carbon sequestration, and
underground water resource characterization program.
�
(a)
�
There is established the geothermal, carbon
sequestration, and underground water resource characterization program within
the Hawaii state energy office to identify the location and characteristics of geothermal,
carbon sequestration, and underground water resources across the State using
the slim-hole boring exploration method.
�

The Hawaii state energy office shall implement the program, which shall
include conducting a statewide environmental assessment of the program's
actions pursuant to chapter 343, in collaboration with the Hawaii groundwater
and geothermal resources center at the university of Hawaii or similar
institution.

����
(b)
�

Before and during the statewide environmental assessment for the geothermal,
carbon sequestration, and underground water resource characterization program
activities, the Hawaii state energy office and collaborators shall meet with
the counties and nearby communities, including individuals and civic
organizations, in order to explain the purpose of the program and identify
community needs, priorities, concerns, and appropriate locations to conduct the
slim-hole boring for the characterization program.

����
(c)
�
The Hawaii state energy office shall submit a
progress report on the geothermal, carbon sequestration, and underground water
resource characterization program, including its findings, recommendations, and
any proposed legislation, to the legislature no later than twenty days prior to
the convening of the regular session of 2029.
�

The report shall be made available to the public in readily accessible
formats, including commonly used mapping software.
"

����
SECTION
3.
�
There is appropriated out of the energy
security special fund the sum of
$ or so much
thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2026-2027 to carry out the purposes
of this Act.

����
The sum
appropriated shall be expended by the Hawaii state energy office for the
purposes of this Act.

����
SECTION
4.
�
There is appropriated out of the
general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of
$ or so much
thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2026-2027 for
full-time equivalent ( FTE) permanent position to
support the activities described by this Act.

����
The sum
appropriated shall be expended by the Hawaii state energy office for the
purposes of this Act.

����
SECTION
5.
�
New statutory material is
underscored.

����
SECTION 6.
�
This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2026.

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

Hawaii
State Energy Office; Carbon Sequestration; Water Resources; Geothermal
Exploration; Appropriations

Description:

Establishes
a Geothermal, Carbon Sequestration, and Underground Water Resource
Characterization Program via slim hole bores and a related statewide
environmental assessment.
�
Appropriates
funds for the program and positions to support the program.

The summary description
of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is
not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.