Hawaii House Bill HCR70

Hawaii 2025 Regular Session

• Introduced: 3/6/25
• Refer: 3/14/25
• Report Pass: 3/27/25
• Refer: 3/27/25
• Report Pass: 4/3/25
• Refer: 4/4/25
• Report Pass: 4/17/25
• Engrossed: 4/21/25
• Passed: 4/21/25

Caption

Requesting The Department Of Transportation To Facilitate And Accelerate The Adoption Of Sustainable Aviation Fuels To Decarbonize Hawaii's Transportation Sector And Support The State's Climate Goals.

Summary

HCR70 is a House Concurrent Resolution that requests the Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation to facilitate and accelerate the adoption of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) in the state’s aviation sector. The resolution frames SAF as an immediate tool to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from air travel, especially given Hawaiʻi’s dependence on aviation for tourism, commerce, and interisland transportation. It cites the transportation sector’s large share of statewide emissions, the State’s climate targets, and the Hawaiʻi State Energy Office’s decarbonization planning as reasons to prioritize SAF. The resolution asks DOT to work with the Hawaiʻi State Energy Office, airlines, fuel producers, and other stakeholders to develop policies, incentives, and infrastructure that support SAF production, distribution, and use. It also directs DOT to integrate SAF adoption into the greenhouse gas reduction plan required under the Navahine v. Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation settlement and to report back to the Legislature before the 2026 session, including any proposed legislation that could further support the effort.

Impact

Because HCR70 is a concurrent resolution rather than a bill, it does not itself amend statutes or create enforceable legal requirements. Its practical effect is to formally urge the Department of Transportation to prioritize sustainable aviation fuels within existing climate and transportation planning efforts, especially the greenhouse gas reduction plan tied to the Navahine settlement. It may influence agency policy, interagency coordination, and future legislation or appropriations related to aviation fuel infrastructure, incentives, and decarbonization.

Sentiment

The available voting history suggests generally favorable support for the resolution. It passed the Senate Energy and Intergovernmental Affairs Committee unanimously and the Senate Transportation and Culture and the Arts Committee by a strong margin, indicating broad agreement with the goal of reducing aviation emissions and advancing Hawaiʻi’s climate objectives. The absence of recorded opposition in the bill text or transcripts suggests the measure was viewed as a policy direction aligned with existing state climate commitments.

Contention

The main points of potential contention are not about whether emissions should be reduced, but about how quickly and at what cost sustainable aviation fuels can be scaled in Hawaiʻi. Likely concerns include the availability of feedstocks, the cost of SAF relative to conventional jet fuel, infrastructure needs, and whether the state should rely on market incentives, regulation, or public investment to accelerate adoption. Stakeholders most directly affected include airlines, fuel suppliers, transportation planners, and climate advocates, with the Department of Transportation expected to coordinate among them.