Hawaii Defines Oil and Coal as Renewable Energy


Hawaii's utilities use oil to generate 99.8% of their electricity. They also buy renewable-based electricity from independent energy producers. Combining both sources means that 8% of Hawaii's electricity came from renewables in 1970 and in 1980. Today, 8% still comes from renewables. In 35 years we have not increased our renewable energy percentage (in fact, it went down slightly).

Renewable Portfolio Standards encourage utilities to achieve 20% renewable energy by 2020.

Customers can produce heat from electricity or from on-site cogeneration (combined heat and power) systems.  Cogeneration systems produce both heat and electricity. 

Utilities can record the amount of on-site heat created from on-site coal and oil cogeneration units, determine the amount of grid-based electricity that would have been required to make that heat, and count it towards the utilities renewable energy goals.

Thus heat recovered from the on-site burning of coal and boiling of oil counts as renewable energy.

Hawaii Revised Statutes (HRS) §269-91 ''Renewable electrical energy'' means: ... use of rejected heat from co-generation and combined heat and power systems, excluding fossil-fueled qualifying facilities that sell electricity to electric utility companies and central station power projects.
Renewable Portfolio Standards (2001)

HB 173  (2001) Implemented Renewable Portfolio Standards (guidelines): suggestions that the utilities increase their use of renewable energy. The final  definition of renewable energy evolved to include energy offset technologies which reduce demand (such as solar water heaters).  The bill was modified twice by House Committees (House Drafts: HD 1 &  HD2), twice by  Senate Committees (Senate Drafts: SD 1 &  SD 2), and once in Conference Committee (Conference Draft: CD 1). The Bill emerged as Act 272 signed by the Governor.

HB 173: "Renewable energy" means energy from wind, solar energy systems, biomass, landfill gas, geothermal resources, ocean thermal energy conversion, hydropower, and organic wastes, including refuse-derived fuel.

HB 173 HD1 "Renewable energy" means energy from wind, solar energy systems, biomass, landfill gas, geothermal resources, ocean thermal energy conversion, hydropower, and organic wastes, including refuse-derived fuel.

HB 173 HD2 "Renewable energy" means energy from solar; wind; geothermal; biomass, including waste-to-energy and landfill gas recovery; and hydroelectric facilities.

HB 173 SD1 "Renewable energy" means energy from solar; wind; geothermal; biomass, including waste-to-energy and landfill gas recovery; and hydroelectric facilities.

HB 173 SD2 "Renewable energy" means electrical energy produced by wind, solar energy, hydropower, landfill gas, waste to energy, geothermal resources, ocean thermal energy conversion, wave energy, biomass including municipal solid waste, biofuels or fuels derived entirely from organic sources, hydrogen fuels derived entirely from renewable energy, or fuel cells where the fuel is derived entirely from renewable sources.

HB 173 CD1 "Renewable energy" means electrical energy produced by wind, solar energy, hydropower, landfill gas, waste to energy, geothermal resources, ocean thermal energy conversion, wave energy, biomass including municipal solid waste, biofuels or fuels derived entirely from organic sources, hydrogen fuels derived entirely from renewable energy, or fuel cells where the fuel is derived entirely from renewable sources. "Renewable energy" also means electrical energy savings brought about by the use of solar and heat pump water heating.
Amendments (2004): Oil can be a Renewable Resource


SB2474 (2004) passed the Senate and was sent to the House where it was amended to state that biofuels, hydrogen or fuel cells receive only partial credit as a green resource corresponding to the percentage of green inputs. This amendment was made by Representative Mina Morita, Chair of the House Energy and Environmental Protection Committee.  The Senate agreed to the changes made by the House. The House Committee on Consumer Protection and Commerce added that renewable energy also include ''quantifiable energy conservation measures, use of rejected heat from co-generation and combined heat and power systems excluding fossil-fueled qualifying facilities that sell electricity to electric utility companies, and central station power projects." The terms ''quantifiable energy conservation measures'' and ''energy conservation measures'' are undefined within any part of state law. Thus the RPS law became meaningless.

SB2474 HD1 ""Renewable energy" means electrical energy produced by wind, solar energy, hydropower, landfill gas, waste to energy, geothermal resources, ocean thermal energy conversion, wave energy, biomass, including municipal solid waste, biofuels, or fuels derived [entirely] from organic sources, hydrogen fuels derived [entirely] from renewable energy, or fuel cells where the fuel is derived [entirely] from renewable sources. Where biofuels, hydrogen, or fuel cell fuels are produced by a combination of renewable and nonrenewable means, the proportion attributable to the renewable means shall be credited as renewable energy. Where fossil and renewable fuels are co-fired in the same generating unit, the unit shall be considered to produce renewable electricity in direct proportion to the percentage of the total heat value represented by the heat value of the renewable fuels. "Renewable energy" also means electrical energy savings brought about by the use of solar [and heat pump] water heating[.], seawater air conditioning district cooling systems, and solar air conditioning."

SB2474 HD2 ""Renewable energy" means electrical energy produced by wind, solar energy, hydropower, landfill gas, waste to energy, geothermal resources, ocean thermal energy conversion, wave energy, biomass, including municipal solid waste, biofuels, or fuels derived [entirely] from organic sources, hydrogen fuels derived [entirely] from renewable energy, or fuel cells where the fuel is derived [entirely] from renewable sources. Where biofuels, hydrogen, or fuel cell fuels are produced by a combination of renewable and nonrenewable means, the proportion attributable to the renewable means shall be credited as renewable energy. Where fossil and renewable fuels are co-fired in the same generating unit, the unit shall be considered to produce renewable electricity in direct proportion to the percentage of the total heat value represented by the heat value of the renewable fuels. "Renewable energy" also means electrical energy savings brought about by the use of solar and heat pump water heating[.], seawater air conditioning district cooling systems, solar air conditioning and ice storage, quantifiable energy conservation measures, use of rejected heat from co-generation and combined heat and power systems excluding fossil-fueled qualifying facilities that sell electricity to electric utility companies, and central station power projects."
Hawaii Defines Additional Coal/Oil Uses as Renewable

The 2004 law was upsetting to the emergent ethanol industry. They wanted to make ethanol from biomass/molasses and oil/coal. They did not want to have to account for the fossil fuel BTUs used. So in 2006 the State Legislature altered the definition of renewable energy. Up to June 1, 2006, biofuels made from coal were discounted by the amount of coal used (same for oil use). If 3 BTUs of coal made 4 BTUs of ethanol, then the ethanol was 1/4 green and 3/4 fossil fuel. As of June 2, 2006, the ethanol is 100% green. In fact, the ethanol is green even if 15 BTUs of coal and 10 BTUs of oil make 4 BTUs of ethanol.

The vehicle for this was Senate Bill 3185, which was originally written to create an energy efficiency utility. The bill was modified twice by  Senate Committees (Senate Drafts: SD 1 &  SD 2), twice by House Committees (House Drafts: HD 1 &  HD2), and once in Conference Committee (Conference Draft: CD 1). The Bill emerged as Act 162 signed by the Governor on June 2, 2006.

Hawaii Revised Statutes (HRS) §269-91 (valid until June 1, 2006) "Renewable energy" means ... fuels derived from organic sources ... Where biofuels, hydrogen, or fuel cell fuels are produced by a combination of renewable and nonrenewable means, the proportion attributable to the renewable means shall be credited as renewable energy.

SB3185 Makes amendments to improve the Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS) law.  The purpose of this Act is to authorize the public utilities commission to establish an energy efficient utility and energy efficiency portfolio standard.

Introducers: SENATORS: ENGLISH, CHUN OAKLAND, Ige, Hee, Kanno, Baker, Inouye, Kokubun. Text: Where biofuels, hydrogen, or fuel cell fuels are produced by a combination of renewable and nonrenewable means, the proportion attributable to the renewable means shall be credited as renewable energy.

SB 3185 SD1. Where biofuels, hydrogen, or fuel cell fuels are produced by a combination of renewable and nonrenewable means, the proportion attributable to the renewable means shall be credited as renewable energy.

SB 3185 SD2. Where biofuels, hydrogen, or fuel cell fuels are produced by a combination of renewable and nonrenewable means, the proportion attributable to the renewable means shall be credited as renewable energy.

SB 3185 HD1. ''Renewable energy'' means ... [Where biofuels, hydrogen, or fuel cell fuels are produced by a combination of renewable and nonrenewable means, the proportion attributable to the renewable means shall be credited as renewable energy.] ... Biofuels, which are liquid or gaseous fuels, or both, produced from organic sources such as biomass crops, agricultural residues and oil crops, such as palm oil, canola oil, soybean oil, waste cooking oil, grease, and food wastes, animal residues and wastes, and sewage and landfill wastes;

House Standing Committee Report 1200-06: Upon further consideration, your Committees have amended this measure by: (1) Deleting the proposed new section regarding standards for classifying energy as attributable to renewable or nonrenewable sources;
Energy & Environmental Protection Chair Hermina  Morita  and Consumer Protection & Commerce Chair Robert N Herkes

SB 3185 HD2. ''Renewable energy'' means ... [Where biofuels, hydrogen, or fuel cell fuels are produced by a combination of renewable and nonrenewable means, the proportion attributable to the renewable means shall be credited as renewable energy.] ... Biofuels, which are liquid or gaseous fuels, or both, produced from organic sources such as biomass crops, agricultural residues and oil crops, such as palm oil, canola oil, soybean oil, waste cooking oil, grease, and food wastes, animal residues and wastes, and sewage and landfill wastes;

SB 3185 CD1. ''Renewable energy'' means ... [Where biofuels, hydrogen, or fuel cell fuels are produced by a combination of renewable and nonrenewable means, the proportion attributable to the renewable means shall be credited as renewable energy. ]  ... (8) Biofuels; and (9) Hydrogen produced from renewable energy sources. 

Act 162. (SB 3185 CD1):   Approved by Governor June 2, 2006

Hawaii Revised Statutes (HRS) §269-91 (valid starting June 2, 2006) 
''Renewable energy'' means ... biofuels, or fuels derived from organic sources



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