RELATING TO ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE.

HB346

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

346

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025

STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

relating
to Electric vehicle charging infrastructure
.

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

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SECTION
1
.
�
The legislature finds that while there is
growing adoption of electric vehicles among Hawaii residents, the lack of
adequate vehicle charging infrastructure presents a barrier to widespread
adoption, particularly for residents who are renters or who live in apartment
buildings.
�
This barrier creates an
equity issue for low-income families who are unable to access the savings and
other benefits associated with electric vehicle ownership because they lack
access to charging infrastructure.

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The legislature further finds that
the cost of constructing parking stalls that will accommodate electric vehicle
charging systems, also referred to as electric vehicle-ready parking stalls, is
approximately one-tenth the cost of retrofitting already-built parking stalls
to accommodate electric vehicle charging systems.
�
For market-priced housing, parking stalls are
already being constructed to be electric vehicle-ready because of market demand
and, in some cases, county requirements.
�

However, parking stalls for affordable housing units are not constructed
to be electric vehicle-ready because of the added cost and exemption of
affordable housing from electric vehicle-ready county code requirements.

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The purpose of this Act is to
provide incentives for electric vehicle-ready new construction for affordable
housing by p
roviding rebates
for the installation of eligible
electric vehicle-ready parking stalls
for new construction of affordable housing.

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SECTION
2
.
�
Section 269-72, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is
amended to read as follows:

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"
�269-72
�

Electric vehicle charging [
system;
]
infrastructure;
rebate
program.
�
(a)
�
The public utilities commission, in
consultation with electric vehicle stakeholders and the Hawaii state energy
office, shall administer a rebate program that incentivizes the installation or
upgrade of [
an
] electric vehicle charging [
system,
]
infrastructure

as provided in this section, and may contract with a third-party administrator
pursuant to section 269-73 to operate and manage the rebate program.

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(b)
�

An applicant may be eligible for a rebate under the rebate program if
the applicant:

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(1)
�
Installs a new
electric vehicle charging system where none previously existed to either:

���������
(A)
�
An alternating
current Level 2 station with one or more ports that provide electricity to one
or more electric vehicles; or

���������
(B)
�
A
direct current fast charging system; [
or
]

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(2)
�
Upgrades an
existing electric vehicle charging system to either:

���������
(A)
�
An alternating
current Level 2 station with one or more ports that provide electricity to one
or more electric vehicles; or

���������
(B)
�
A direct current
fast charging system[
.
]
; or

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(3)
�
Installs an
electric vehicle-ready parking stall in new construction of affordable housing;
provided that fifty per cent of the total number of electric vehicle-ready
parking stalls installed in a project shall be eligible for a rebate under this
paragraph.

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(c)
�

Subject to subsection (f), rebates shall be distributed as follows:

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(1)
�
Each eligible
installation of an electric vehicle charging system shall receive:

���������
(A)
�
Up
to $2,000
for the installation of an alternating current Level 2 station
with one port;

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(B)
�
Up to
$4,500 for the
installation of an alternating current Level 2 station with two or more ports;
and

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(C)
�
Up to
$35,000 for the
installation of a direct current fast charging system; [
and
]

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(2)
�
Each eligible upgrade of an electric
vehicle charging system shall receive:

���������
(A)
�
Up
to $1,300 for the upgrade to an alternating current Level 2 station with one
port;

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(B)
�
Up to
$3,000 for the upgrade to an
alternating current Level 2 station with two or more ports; and

���������
(C)
�
Up to
$28,000 for the upgrade to a
direct current fast charging system[
.
]
; and

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(3)
�
Each eligible
installation of an electric vehicle-ready parking stall for new construction of
affordable housing shall receive up to $1,750 for the installation of an
alternating current Level 2 station.

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(d)
�

The public utilities commission shall:

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(1)
�
Prepare any forms
that may be necessary for an applicant to claim a rebate pursuant to this
section; and

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(2)
�
Require each
applicant to furnish reasonable information to ascertain the validity of the
claim, including but not limited to documentation necessary to demonstrate that
the installation or upgrade for which the rebate is claimed is eligible.

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(e)
�

This section shall apply to electric vehicle charging systems that are
installed or upgraded after December 31, 2019[
.
]
, and electric
vehicle-ready parking stalls that are installed after July 1, 2025.

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(f)
�

Applicants shall submit applications to the public utilities commission
within twelve months of the date that the newly installed or upgraded charging
system is placed into service
or the electronic vehicle-ready parking stall
is installed
to claim a rebate from the [
electric vehicle charging
system
] rebate program.
�
Failure to
apply to the commission within twelve months of the date that the newly
installed or upgraded charging system is placed into service
or the electric
vehicle-ready parking stall is installed
shall constitute a waiver of the
right to claim the rebate.
�
Rebates shall
be subject to available funds, and the program administrator shall not approve
additional rebates for the remainder of the fiscal year after program funds
have been fully exhausted.

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(g)
�

Nothing in this section shall alter taxes due on the original purchase
or upgrade price of an electric vehicle charging system
or the
infrastructure for an
electric
vehicle-ready parking stall
before the application of the
rebate.
�
Any rebate received pursuant to
the electric vehicle charging [
system
]
infrastructure
rebate
program shall not be considered income for the purposes of state or county
taxes.

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(h)
�

In administering the electric vehicle charging [
system
]
infrastructure

rebate program, the public utilities commission shall give consideration to the
following guidelines:

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(1)
�
Priority should be
given to electric vehicle charging systems that are publicly available; serve
multiple tenants, employees, or customers; serve electric vehicle fleets;
support the visitor industry in transitioning to clean transportation; or serve
low-income, moderate-income, or environmental justice communities;
and to
electric vehicle-ready parking
stalls in new construction of affordable housing units
;

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(2)
�
Electric vehicle c
harging
[
system
]
infrastructure
rebates should enhance broader public
clean energy and grid resiliency goals by supporting deployment of e
lectric vehicle c
harging
systems that can regulate their time of use, be networked and co-optimized with
other e
lectric vehicle c
harging
systems, and otherwise provide grid services or other benefits to the utility
and electric grid;

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(3)
�
Electric vehicle c
harging
systems that serve a single person, such as a reserved parking stall or a
single-family residence, shall not be eligible for rebates;

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(4)
�
Electric vehicle
charging [
system
]
infrastructure
rebates should support
accessibility of charging to as many electric vehicle drivers as feasible; and

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(5)
�
The program
administrator may propose new or modified guidelines to be considered in
addition to those specified in this subsection and should have the flexibility
to make programmatic adjustments due to market changes, technological
advancements, and levels of participation to ensure the prudent use of taxpayer
funds and to effectively manage the program budget.

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(i)
�
Nothing in this section shall prevent an
entity from claiming in the same taxable year a rebate under the electric
vehicle charging infrastructure rebate program for installation or upgrade of
an electric vehicle charging system and installation of an electric
vehicle-ready parking stall for new construction of affordable housing.

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[
(i)
]
(j)
�
As used in this section:

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"Affordable housing"
means housing that is affordable to a household with an income at or below one
hundred forty per cent of the area median income as determined by the United
States Department of Housing and Urban Development.

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"Alternating current Level 2
charging station", commonly referred to as "Level 2 charging
station", means an electric vehicle charging system that utilizes
alternating current electricity providing at least three kilowatts and means a
system that:

����
(1)
�
Is capable of
providing electricity from a non-vehicle source to charge the batteries of one
or more electric vehicles;

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(2)
�
Meets recognized standards and protocols
including, but not limited to, Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) J1772� of
SAE International and Tesla protocol; and

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(3)
�
Is designed and
installed in compliance with article 625 of the National Electrical Code to
appropriate Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratories' standards.

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"Applicant" means an individual;
non-profit or for-profit corporation; local, state, or federal government
agency; homeowner association; or any other eligible entity as defined under
rules adopted for the electric vehicle charging system rebate program.

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"Direct current fast charging
system", commonly referred to as "DC fast charging system",
means an electric vehicle charging system that utilizes direct current
electricity providing forty kilowatts or greater and:

����
(1)
�
Is capable of providing electricity from a
non-vehicle source to charge the batteries of one or more electric vehicles;

����
(2)
�
Meets
recognized standards and protocols, including, but not limited to, Society of
Automotive Engineers (SAE) J1772� of SAE International, Tesla protocol, and
CHAdeMO protocol; and

����
(3)
�
Is
designed and installed in compliance with article 625 of the National
Electrical Code to appropriate Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratories'
standards.

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"Electric vehicle charging
system" has the same meaning as Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment as
defined in article 625.2 of the National Electrical Code, as amended.

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"Electric
vehicle-ready" means having a full-circuit installation that includes two
hundred eight volt three phase or two hundred forty volt single phase power,
forty-ampere panel capacity, raceway, wiring, receptacle, and overprotection
devices similar to a dryer circuit.
"

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SECTION
3.
�
Sections 243-3.5(a), 269-33(e), and
269-73, Hawaii Revised Statutes, are amended by substituting the phrase
"electric vehicle charging infrastructure", or similar term, wherever
the phrase "electric vehicle charging system" appears, as the context
requires.

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SECTION
4.
�
Statutory material to be repealed is
bracketed and stricken.
�
New statutory
material is underscored.

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SECTION 5.
�
This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2025.

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure; Electric
Vehicle-ready Parking Stalls; Affordable Housing; Rebates; HHFDC

Description:

Provides
rebates for the installation of eligible
electric vehicle-ready parking
stalls for new construction of affordable housing.

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