HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.B. NO.	8
TWENTY-EIGHTH LEGISLATURE, 2015
STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

 

relating to energy.

 

 

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

 

     SECTION 1.  The legislature finds that on August 26, 2014, pursuant to order by the public utilities commission, the Hawaiian Electric Companies submitted an action plan to achieve State energy goals.  This plan included heavy reliance on importing liquefied natural gas from foreign counties.

     The legislature further finds that Hawaiian Electric Companies' plan to use liquefied natural gas will involve significant investment, commit the State to decades of using this non-renewable fossil fuel, and displace investment into long-term clean renewable energy.  Conversion of existing oil-burning power-generating plants to use liquefied natural gas will cost an estimated $200,000,000 along with millions of dollars in other large infrastructure expenditures.  While Hawaiian Electric Companies has touted liquefied natural gas as a bridge to a cleaner future, the staggering investment requirements are merely a bridge to use more liquefied natural gas.

Instead, these hundreds of millions of dollars should be used to make great strides in implementing a smart electrical grid and developing solar, wind, and geothermal energy sources.

     The legislature further finds that the use of liquefied natural gas raises environmental concerns.  Fracking to obtain the natural gas, processing of the gas, supercooling it to minus 259 degrees Fahrenheit to convert it to a liquid state, shipping the liquefied natural gas across thousands of miles in refrigerated tanks on liquefied natural gas carriers, transporting it off the carriers, storing it, and finally gasifying it for use all require tremendous use of fossil fuel energy and produce significant levels of greenhouse gases. 

     The purpose of this Act is to prohibit utilities from importing liquid natural gas without disrupting the current small liquefied natural gas imports.

     SECTION 2.  Chapter 269, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

     "§269-     Liquid natural gas carrier use by public utilities; prohibited.  No public utility shall use any liquid natural gas, or any product created from that liquid natural gas, that has been imported into the State by a liquid natural gas carrier.

     For purposes of this section, a "liquid natural gas carrier" is a tank ship that primarily transports liquid natural gas and has a capacity to hold more than 100,000 cubic meters of liquid natural gas."

     SECTION 3.  New statutory material is underscored.

     SECTION 4.  This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

 

INTRODUCED BY:	_____________________________

 

 

Report Title:

Liquefied Natural Gas; Utilities

 

Description:

Prohibits utilities from engaging in large-scale import of liquefied natural gas.

 

 

 

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