Highlights:
-Establishes the Energy Security Special Fund to be created, to (Sec. 3):
-Support the Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative program;
-Fund the renewable energy facilitator; and
-Fund the Greenhouse Gas Emissions Task Force, Climate Change Task Force, and grants-in-aid to the economic development boards and agencies of each county.
-Specifies that the Environmental Response, Energy and Food Tax on each barrel or fractional part of a barrel of petroleum product that is not aviation fuel will be $1.05 that is to be paid by the retail dealer or any other distributor purchasing the petroleum product, except for refiners, which will be used in the following manner (Sec. 4):
-$0.05 will be deposited into the Environmental Response Revolving Fund;
-$0.15 will be deposited into the Energy Security Special Fund;
-$0.10 will be deposited into the Energy Systems Development Special Fund; and
-$0.15 will be deposited into the Agricultural Development and Food Security Special Fund.
-Establishes the Hawaii Economic Development Task Force within the department of business, economic development, and tourism to facilitate the accelerated adoption and completion of renewable-energy projects, energy-efficiency programs, and agriculture infrastructure and development (Sec. 6).
-Establishes the Agricultural Development and Food Security Special Fund, to be used for various purposes, including, but not limited to, the following (Sec. 7):
-Awarding of grants to farmers for agricultural production or processing activity;
-Acquiring real property for agricultural production or processing activity; and
-Conducting research and tests on agricultural products and markets.
-Establishes the Clean Energy Initiative Program to manage the state's transition to a clean energy economy and administer various activities, including, but not limited to, the following (Sec. 8):
-Establishing strategic partnerships for the research, development, testing, deployment and permitting of clean energy technologies;
-Carrying out engineering and economic evaluations of the state's potential for near-term project opportunities for the state's renewable energy resources;
-Carrying out electric grid reliability and security projects that will enable the integration of an increase of electricity from renewable energy resources; and
-Developing a statewide clean energy public education and outreach plan.