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HB977 • 2026

RELATING TO ENERGY FINANCING.

RELATING TO ENERGY FINANCING.

Budget Energy Housing Small Business
Active

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

Sponsor
LOWEN, EVSLIN, GRANDINETTI, HUSSEY, KAHALOA, KEOHOKAPU-LEE LOY, KILA, KITAGAWA, LA CHICA, MARTEN, MIYAKE, PERRUSO, POEPOE, QUINLAN, TAM, TARNAS, TODD
Last action
2025-12-08
Official status
Carried over to 2026 Regular Session.
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary and text do not provide specific details on the amount of funds appropriated or how many underserved ratepayers will benefit from the financial assistance.

Energy Financing to Help Underserved Ratepayers

This bill allows the Clean Energy and Energy Efficiency Revolving Loan Fund to provide financial assistance to underserved ratepayers, in addition to other eligible borrowers.

What This Bill Does

  • Defines 'underserved ratepayer' as state and local governments, low- and moderate-income homeowners, renters, nonprofits, small businesses as defined by the U.S. Small Business Administration, and multi-family rental projects.
  • Amends the law to allow the Clean Energy and Energy Efficiency Revolving Loan Fund to provide financial assistance to underserved ratepayers for clean energy investments or other authorized uses.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Underserved ratepayers, including low-income homeowners, renters, nonprofits, small businesses, and multi-family rental projects.
  • The Hawaii Green Infrastructure Authority which manages the Clean Energy and Energy Efficiency Revolving Loan Fund.

Terms To Know

Underserved Ratepayer
State and local governments, low- and moderate-income homeowners, renters, nonprofits, small businesses as defined by the U.S. Small Business Administration, and multi-family rental projects.
Clean Energy and Energy Efficiency Revolving Loan Fund
A fund that provides financial assistance for clean energy investments to eligible borrowers.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify the exact amount of funds appropriated into or out of the Clean Energy and Energy Efficiency Revolving Loan Fund.
  • It is unclear how many underserved ratepayers will benefit from this financial assistance.

Amendments

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

HD1

1

Hawaii published version HD1

Plain English: This amendment allows the Clean Energy and Energy Efficiency Revolving Loan Fund to provide financial assistance to underserved ratepayers, including state and local governments, low- and moderate-income households, nonprofits, small businesses, and multi-family rental projects.

  • Expands the definition of 'underserved ratepayer' to include a broader range of entities such as state and local governments, low- and moderate-income homeowners, renters, nonprofits, small businesses, and multi-family rental projects.
  • Amends the use of funds in the Clean Energy and Energy Efficiency Revolving Loan Fund to provide financial assistance to these newly defined underserved ratepayers.
  • The exact amount of funding appropriated for fiscal year 2025-2026 is not specified.
  • The effective date listed as July 1, 3000 appears incorrect and may be a placeholder or error in the text provided.
SD1

3

Hawaii published version SD1

Plain English: This amendment allows the Clean Energy and Energy Efficiency Revolving Loan Fund to provide financial assistance to underserved ratepayers, including state and local governments, low- and moderate-income households, nonprofits, small businesses, and multi-family rental projects.

  • Expands the definition of 'underserved ratepayer' to include a broader range of entities such as state and local governments, low- and moderate-income homeowners, renters, nonprofits, small businesses, and multi-family rental projects.
  • Amends the use of funds in the Clean Energy and Energy Efficiency Revolving Loan Fund to provide financial assistance specifically for underserved ratepayers.
  • The exact amount of funding appropriated is not specified in the amendment text.
  • The effective date listed as July 1, 3000 appears to be an error or placeholder and does not reflect a realistic implementation timeline.

Bill History

  1. 2025-12-08 D

    Carried over to 2026 Regular Session.

  2. 2025-03-18 S

    Report adopted; Passed Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referred to WAM.

  3. 2025-03-18 S

    Reported from EIG (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1116) with recommendation of passage on Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referral to WAM.

  4. 2025-03-11 S

    The committee(s) on EIG recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in EIG were as follows: 3 Aye(s): Senator(s) Wakai, Chang, Richards; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 2 Excused: Senator(s) DeCoite, Fevella.

  5. 2025-03-07 S

    The committee(s) on EIG has scheduled a public hearing on 03-11-25 3:02PM; Conference Room 016 & Videoconference.

  6. 2025-03-04 S

    Referred to EIG, WAM.

  7. 2025-02-28 S

    Passed First Reading.

  8. 2025-02-28 S

    Received from House (Hse. Com. No. 46).

  9. 2025-02-27 H

    Passed Third Reading with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Cochran, Pierick, Templo, Ward excused (4). Transmitted to Senate.

  10. 2025-02-27 H

    Reported from FIN (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 887), recommending passage on Third Reading.

  11. 2025-02-20 H

    The committee on FIN recommend that the measure be PASSED, UNAMENDED. The votes were as follows: 14 Ayes: Representative(s) Yamashita, Takenouchi, Grandinetti, Holt, Hussey, Keohokapu-Lee Loy, Kitagawa, Kusch, Lamosao, Lee, M., Miyake, Morikawa, Templo, Reyes Oda; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and 2 Excused: Representative(s) Alcos, Ward.

  12. 2025-02-18 H

    Bill scheduled to be heard by FIN on Thursday, 02-20-25 12:00PM in House conference room 308 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.

  13. 2025-02-11 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) Garcia, Muraoka, Pierick voting no (3) and Representative(s) Cochran, Ward excused (2).

  14. 2025-02-11 H

    Reported from EEP (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 349) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to FIN.

  15. 2025-02-06 H

    The committee on EEP recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 5 Ayes: Representative(s) Lowen, Perruso, Kahaloa, Kusch, Quinlan; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and 1 Excused: Representative(s) Ward.

  16. 2025-01-29 H

    Bill scheduled to be heard by EEP on Thursday, 02-06-25 9:00AM in House conference room 325 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.

  17. 2025-01-23 H

    Referred to EEP, FIN, referral sheet 3

  18. 2025-01-23 H

    Introduced and Pass First Reading.

  19. 2025-01-21 H

    Pending introduction.

Official Summary Text

RELATING TO ENERGY FINANCING.
Energy Financing; Clean Energy and Energy Efficiency Revolving Loan Fund; Underserved Ratepayers; Appropriation ($)
Authorizes the Clean Energy and Energy Efficiency Revolving Loan Fund to be used to provide financial assistance to underserved ratepayers, in addition to other eligible borrowers. Appropriates funds into and out of the Clean Energy and Energy Efficiency Revolving Loan Fund. Effective 7/1/3000. (SD1)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HB977

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

977

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025

STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

relating
to energy financing
.

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

����
SECTION
1.
�
The legislature finds that rooftop
solar plus storage systems will help the State meet its one hundred per cent
renewable energy portfolio standard goal by 2045, while reducing carbon
emissions and our reliance on imported fossil fuels and helping to stabilize
the grid.
�
The legislature further finds
that the green energy money $aver on-bill financing program has filled the
financing gap in providing inclusive, accessible, and affordable financing of
rooftop solar plus storage systems to reduce energy-burdened, underserved
ratepayers.

����
The legislature
further finds that as of January 2025, the Hawaii green infrastructure
authority has over one thousand two hundred applications in process, which are
anticipated to consume remaining available funding.
�
Additionally, while the Hawaii green
infrastructure authority was awarded $62,000,000 in federal solar-for-all loan funds,
these funds are restricted to financing only low-income households and a
limited number of disadvantaged census tracts, leaving moderate-income
households and other underserved ratepayers, including nonprofits and small
businesses, without access to financing.

����
The
purpose of this Act is to provide a capital infusion to the clean energy and
energy efficiency revolving loan fund for the Hawaii green infrastructure
authority to finance projects for underserved ratepayers, in addition to other
eligible borrowers.

����
SECTION
2.
�
Section 196-161, Hawaii Revised
Statutes, is amended by adding a new definition to be appropriately inserted
and to read as follows:

����
"
"Underserved
ratepayer" means state and local governments, low- and moderate-income
homeowners, renters, nonprofits, small businesses as defined by the United
States Small Business Administration, and multi-family rental projects.
"

����
SECTION
3
.
�
Section 196-65.5, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is
amended by amending subsection (b) to read as follows:

����
"(b)
�
Moneys in the clean energy and energy
efficiency revolving loan fund shall be used to provide low-cost loans at
below-market rates or other authorized financial assistance to
underserved
ratepayers,
eligible public, private, and nonprofit borrowers for clean
energy investments or other authorized uses, or both, on terms approved by the
authority.
�
Moneys from the fund may be
used to cover administrative and legal costs of fund management and management
associated with individual loans, which include personnel, services, technical
assistance, data collection and reporting, materials, equipment, and travel for
the purposes of this section."

����
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 2025-2026 to be
deposited into the clean energy and energy efficiency revolving loan fund
established pursuant to section 196-65.5, Hawaii Revised Statutes.

����
SECTION
5
.
�
There
is appropriated out of the clean energy and energy efficiency revolving loan
fund the sum of $
or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2025-2026 to provide
loans or other financial assistance to eligible borrowers for clean energy
investments or other authorized uses; provided that the appropriation shall not
lapse at the end of the fiscal year for which the appropriation is made.

����
The sum appropriated shall be expended by
the Hawaii green infrastructure authority for the purposes of this Act.

����
SECTION
6.
�
New statutory material is
underscored.

����
SECTION 7.
�
This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2025.

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

Energy
Financing; Energy and Energy Efficiency Revolving Loan Fund; Underserved
Ratepayers; Appropriation

Description:

Authorizes
the Clean Energy and Energy Efficiency Revolving Loan Fund to be used to
provide financial assistance to underserved ratepayers, in addition to other
eligible borrowers.
�
Appropriates funds
into and out of the Clean Energy and Energy Efficiency Revolving Loan Fund.

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