Hawai'i

Hawai’i State Solar Policy Resources

• Official SEIA State Affiliate: Hawaii Solar Energy Association (HSEA)

• Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative

• Hawaii Public Utilities Commission – Learn about the governing body that regulates the electricity rates and services of Hawaii public utilities

• Hawaii Solar Energy Association – Learn what local solar companies have been doing to create solar jobs in Hawaii since 1977

• Hawaii State Legislature – Track pending legislation affecting solar energy, locate and contact individual legislators, and stay up to date on current legislative issues in Hawaii

• State Energy Office – Find a wide variety of information on state government energy programs, policy, projects, energy-saving strategies and energy-related statistics

• DSIRE Incentives Database – Hawaii – Search a public clearinghouse for specific solar energy incentives in Hawaii and across the United States

• U.S. Energy Information Administration – Hawaii State Profile – Explore official energy statistics, including data on electricity supply and demand, from the U.S. government

Hawai’i Energy Storage Policy and Market Overview

Hawai’i regulators and utilities are capitalizing on abundant and cheap solar resources to deploy energy storage, improve grid resilience, and steamroll the state’s path towards a 100% renewable goal. With the highest electricity rates in the US, Hawai’i can use energy storage as a mechanism to significantly lower customer rates. State regulators have pinpointed market restructuring, net metering, and utility incentives as policy tools to encourage competitive procurement.

In 2019, the State of Hawai’i Public Utilities Commission undertook significant market restructuring actions to reduce customer costs and incentivize DER investments. The PUC established long-term DER net metering programs and TOU rates to stabilize and compensate storage owners. Since, regulatory officials and electricity utilities have worked in lockstep to swiftly interconnect solar-plus-storage systems, invest in standalone systems, and phase out traditional fossil fuel electricity plants.

The residential market is currently slowing as utility rebates shift from Battery Bonus to BYOD. However, various net tariff compensation mechanisms should incentivize BTM installations long-term.

Hawaii Energy Storage Policy Resources

• Smart Renewable Energy Export & Non-Export Tariffs –Incentives and compensation credits for Hawaii Electric customers with solar-plus storage systems.
• Smart Renewable Energy Program Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) – Upfront, performance, and net metering compensation for solar-plus-storage systems provided by Hawaiian Electric.
• Hawai’i Energy Power Move Program – Incentives for commercial energy storage projects provided by Hawai’i Energy.
• Hawaii Utility-Scale Project Tracker – Utility-scale solar-plus-storage and standalone storage tracker for projects in development and awaiting approval.
• Pacific Northwest National Laboratories Energy Storage Policy Database – Map of Procurement, Regulatory, Demonstration, Incentive, and Interconnection policies in Hawaii and across the United States.
• DSIRE Hawaii Energy Storage Policy Database – Clearinghouse for financial incentives, regulations, and rebates for energy storage and lithium-ion technologies in Hawaii and across the United States.
• Energy Storage Cost in Hawaii – Up-to-date storage and solar-plus-storage pricing and find installers in Hawaii on EnergySage.
• Hawaii Public Utilities Commission – Governing body that regulates the electricity rates and services of Hawaii public utilities, search for regulatory dockets, programs, and initiatives.
• Hawai’i State Legislature – Pending, passed, and historical legislation affecting energy storage and battery systems, locate and contact individual legislators, and stay up to date on current legislative issues in Hawaii.