# Hawaii HB 974: RELATING TO ENERGY.

Hawaii HB 974, RELATING TO ENERGY., is a 2025–2026 Regular Session (Year 1) House bill sponsored by Nicole E. Lowen (Democratic); status passed house, last action 2025-04-03 (The committee on WAM deferred the measure.) (as of 2026-10-28).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/HI-HB974-2025
- As of: 2026-10-28
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: Hawaii HB 974
- State: Hawaii
- Session: 2025–2026 Regular Session (Year 1)
- Title: RELATING TO ENERGY.
- Status: passed house
- Chamber: House
- Introduced: 2025-01-21
- Last action: 2025-04-03, The committee on WAM deferred the measure.
- Sponsor: Nicole E. Lowen (Democratic)
- Cosponsors: 0
- Subjects: BNF, Public Utilities Commission, Energy, Step-In Agreements, Power Purchase Agreements, Power Purchase Costs Trust Fund, EIG/CPN, WAM
- Touches household money: no
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 0

## Summary

Requires the Department of Budget and Finance to enter into step-in agreements for payment obligations arising under certain power purchase agreements. Establishes the Power Purchase Costs Trust Fund. Establishes that money collected from on-bill charges for power purchase agreements and money received from a surcharge supporting a reserve account that are deposited in the Trust Fund shall be held in trust by the State, and that independent power producers shall hold a beneficial interest in the moneys to the extent of the amounts owed under the covered power purchase agreements. Appoints, authorizes, and empowers an electric utility to serve as the billing, collection, and payment agent of the Department of Budget and Finance in the service of performing step-in agreements. (SD1)

## Bill overview

No economic impacts identified for this bill.

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Nicole E. Lowen (Democratic), House

## Actions (28)

- 2025-04-03: The committee on WAM deferred the measure. (Senate)
- 2025-03-28: The committee(s) on WAM deferred the measure until 04-03-25 10:02AM; Conference Room 211 & Videoconference. (Senate)
- 2025-03-25: The committee(s) on WAM will hold a public decision making on 03-28-25 10:02AM; Conference Room 211 & Videoconference. (Senate)
- 2025-03-21: Reported from EIG/CPN (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1348) with recommendation of passage on Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referral to WAM. (Senate)
- 2025-03-21: Report adopted; Passed Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referred to WAM. (Senate)
- 2025-03-20: The committee(s) on CPN recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in CPN were as follows: 4 Aye(s): Senator(s) Keohokalole, Richards; Aye(s) with reservations: Senator(s) Fukunaga, McKelvey ; 1 No(es): Senator(s) Awa; and 0 Excused: none. (Senate)
- 2025-03-20: The committee(s) on EIG recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in EIG were as follows: 4 Aye(s): Senator(s) Wakai, Chang, DeCoite, Richards; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 1 Excused: Senator(s) Fevella. (Senate)
- 2025-03-14: The committee(s) on EIG/CPN has scheduled a public hearing on 03-20-25 9:30AM; Conference Room 229 & Videoconference. (Senate)
- 2025-03-04: Referred to EIG/CPN, WAM. (Senate)
- 2025-02-28: Received from House (Hse. Com. No. 45). (Senate)
- 2025-02-28: Passed First Reading. (Senate)
- 2025-02-27: Reported from FIN (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 886), recommending passage on Third Reading. (House)
- 2025-02-27: Passed Third Reading with Representative(s) Amato, Garcia voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Cochran, Pierick, Templo, Ward excused (4). Transmitted to Senate. (House)
- 2025-02-20: The committee on FIN recommend that the measure be PASSED, UNAMENDED. The votes were as follows: 14 Ayes: Representative(s) Yamashita, Takenouchi, Grandinetti, Holt, Hussey, Keohokapu-Lee Loy, Kitagawa, Kusch, Lamosao, Lee, M., Miyake, Morikawa, Templo, Reyes Oda; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and 2 Excused: Representative(s) Alcos, Ward. (House)
- 2025-02-18: Bill scheduled to be heard by FIN on Thursday, 02-20-25 12:00PM in House conference room 308 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE. (House)
- 2025-02-14: Reported from EEP (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 769) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to FIN. (House)
- 2025-02-14: Passed Second Reading as amended in HD 1 and referred to the committee(s) on FIN with Representative(s) Amato, Garcia voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Cochran, Matayoshi, Poepoe, Ward excused (4). (House)
- 2025-02-13: The committee on EEP recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 4 Ayes: Representative(s) Lowen, Perruso, Kahaloa, Kusch; Ayes with reservations: none; 0 Noes: none; and 2 Excused: Representative(s) Quinlan, Ward. (House)
- 2025-02-11: The committee(s) on EEP recommend(s) that the measure be deferred until 02-13-25 10:15AM. (House)
- 2025-02-11: Bill scheduled for decision making on Thursday, 02-13-25 10:15AM in conference room 325 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE. (House)
- 2025-02-06: The committee(s) on EEP recommend(s) that the measure be deferred until 02-11-25 10:20AM. (House)
- 2025-02-06: Bill scheduled for decision making on Tuesday, 02-11-25 10:20AM in conference room 325 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE. (House)
- 2025-01-30: The committee(s) on EEP recommend(s) that the measure be deferred until 02-06-25. (House)
- 2025-01-30: Bill scheduled for decision making on Thursday, 02-06-25 9:01AM in conference room 325 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE. (House)
- 2025-01-27: Bill scheduled to be heard by EEP on Thursday, 01-30-25 9:00AM in House conference room 325 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE. (House)
- 2025-01-23: Introduced and Pass First Reading. (House)
- 2025-01-23: Referred to EEP, FIN, referral sheet 3 (House)
- 2025-01-21: Pending introduction. (House)

## Bill text

- Bill Text: [PDF](https://data.capitol.hawaii.gov/sessions/session2025/bills/HB974_SD1_.pdf)
- HB974_HD1: [HTML](https://data.capitol.hawaii.gov/sessions/session2025/bills/HB974_HD1_.HTM)
- HB974_SD1: [HTML](https://data.capitol.hawaii.gov/sessions/session2025/bills/HB974_SD1_.HTM)
- Original: [HTML](https://data.capitol.hawaii.gov/sessions/session2025/bills/HB974_.HTM), [PDF](https://data.capitol.hawaii.gov/sessions/session2025/bills/HB974_.PDF)

## Related bills

- SB 572: RELATING TO HOUSING. (signed)
- HB 431: RELATING TO HOUSING. (signed)
- HB 420: RELATING TO REMEDIES. (signed)
- SB 1296: RELATING TO DISASTER RECOVERY. (signed)
- HB 830: RELATING TO HISTORIC PRESERVATION REVIEWS. (signed)
- HB 1064: RELATING TO FIRE PROTECTION. (signed)

## Sources
- [Bill Text (PDF)](https://data.capitol.hawaii.gov/sessions/session2025/bills/HB974_SD1_.pdf)
- [HB974_HD1 (HTML)](https://data.capitol.hawaii.gov/sessions/session2025/bills/HB974_HD1_.HTM)
- [HB974_SD1 (HTML)](https://data.capitol.hawaii.gov/sessions/session2025/bills/HB974_SD1_.HTM)
- [Original (HTML)](https://data.capitol.hawaii.gov/sessions/session2025/bills/HB974_.HTM)
- [Original (PDF)](https://data.capitol.hawaii.gov/sessions/session2025/bills/HB974_.PDF)

## Related
- [SB 572: RELATING TO HOUSING.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/HI-SB572-2025)
- [HB 431: RELATING TO HOUSING.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/HI-HB431-2025)
- [HB 420: RELATING TO REMEDIES.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/HI-HB420-2025)
- [SB 1296: RELATING TO DISASTER RECOVERY.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/HI-SB1296-2025)
- [HB 830: RELATING TO HISTORIC PRESERVATION REVIEWS.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/HI-HB830-2025)
- [HB 1064: RELATING TO FIRE PROTECTION.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/HI-HB1064-2025)
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Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/HI-HB974-2025 (as of 2026-10-28).