Climate Action Plan at a Glance

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Electricity

Powering O‘ahu’s homes, businesses, industries, and increasingly, electric vehicles creates approximately 35% of total island carbon emissions. About 80% of O‘ahu’s electricity generation comes from fossil fuels.

Hawai‘i has the nation’s first clean energy law mandating that 100% of electricity net sales be from renewable sources of energy no later than 2045. By working with the State and the utility to achieve the State’s goals, the City can help drive continued investment and innovation in decarbonizing the electricity sector.

This CAP outlines several strategies to reduce building energy use, expand energy efficiency and renewable energy projects on City facilities, ensure more expansive access for residents to rooftop solar, and facilitate permitting of renewable energy installations. By focusing on energy efficiency first, the City can help residents save money and reduce the overall need to build new electrical infrastructure. The following three high-impact strategies will further reduce emissions from O‘ahu’s electricity sector.

▿Strategy 5: Reduce Energy Demand by Increasing Energy Efficiency

Action 5.1: Put in place a system to regularly update relevant building code ordinances and adopt state codes as required; and consider adopting further local standards to reduce greenhouse gas emissions over time.

Action 5.2: Develop a "lead by example" municipal energy and water benchmarking program for covered City facilities along with data transparency, reporting, and building performance standards. Develop internal and publicly-available dashboard with energy and water data reporting protocols.

Action 5.3: Develop building energy benchmarking program, building performance standards, and transparent reporting mechanisms for large covered commercial and multi-family buildings.

Action 5.4: Deploy a Healthy and Resilient Buildings program in response to COVID-19.

▿Strategy 6: Maximize Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy throughout City Operations and Assets

Action 6.1: Retrofit City buildings, facilities, and operations to be more energy efficient.

Action 6.2: Leverage City rooftops, parking lots, and other previously developed lands to increase on-site and City-owned renewable energy by 200%.

Action 6.3: Continue to pilot and implement flexible energy demand response programs for City operations.

Action 6.4: Facilitate and invest in energy efficiency for City-owned housing.

▿Strategy 7: Expand Renewable Energy Planning and Expedite Permitting

Action 7.1: Proactively engage with state partners in land use and community planning for large-scale renewable energy projects and assess City lands and facilities for additional utility-scale energy projects.

Action 7.2: Streamline permitting for solar PV (including distributed battery technologies) on commercial, multifamily, and townhome rooftops through use of online platforms.

Action 7.3: Continue to advocate before the PUC for fair and efficient regulation around the renewable energy transition.

Action 7.4 Launch a Solarize O'ahu pilot to increase residential solar access for low- to moderate-income households.