RELATING TO A PROGRAM TO CHARACTERIZE CARBON SEQUESTRATION POTENTIAL AND UNDERGROUND WATER RESOURCES STATEWIDE.
SB1339 establishes a statewide carbon sequestration and underground water resource characterization program within the Hawaii State Energy Office. The program is intended to identify the location and characteristics of underground water resources and carbon sequestration potential across the state using slim-hole boring exploration methods, with the Hawaii Groundwater and Geothermal Resources Center at the University of Hawaii, or a similar institution, providing technical collaboration and direction.
The bill requires the State Energy Office to conduct a statewide environmental assessment under chapter 343 before and during program activities, and to engage counties, nearby communities, individuals, and civic organizations to explain the project and identify community needs, concerns, priorities, and suitable locations for boring. It also requires a progress report to the Legislature by early 2028, including findings, recommendations, and any proposed legislation, and directs that the report be made publicly available in accessible formats, including mapping software.
The bill would add a new statutory program to chapter 196, Hawaii Revised Statutes, creating an ongoing State Energy Office responsibility to plan and carry out statewide subsurface resource characterization work. It appropriates $16.5 million from the energy security special fund for each of fiscal years 2025-2026 and 2026-2027, plus $135,000 from general revenues in each of those years for one permanent full-time position, shifting both operational and staffing obligations to the Hawaii State Energy Office. The measure also ties the program to Hawaii’s environmental review law, chapter 343, and to public reporting and community engagement requirements.
The available voting history suggests broad support in the committees that heard the bill, with unanimous 3-0 passage in both the Senate Agriculture and Environment Committee and the Senate Energy and Intergovernmental Affairs Committee, each with amendments. The bill’s framing emphasizes clean energy, agriculture, land use, and scientific assessment, indicating generally favorable sentiment toward advancing resource mapping and geothermal/carbon sequestration planning. The referral to Ways and Means reflects that fiscal considerations remain part of the bill’s path, but the early committee votes show no recorded opposition.
The main points of potential contention are likely the scale of the appropriation, the use of slim-hole boring as an exploration method, and the need for environmental review and community consultation before site selection. The bill itself anticipates concerns by requiring a statewide environmental assessment and direct engagement with counties and nearby communities, including civic organizations, to identify appropriate locations and address local priorities and concerns. Another possible issue is the long effective date of May 13, 2040, which may reflect a delayed implementation structure and could draw questions about timing and legislative intent.