Oppose SB 1237

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This Friday 2/5 at 3 PM, the Senate Committee on Energy, Economic Development, and Tourism (EET) is hearing SB 1237. We OPPOSE SB 1237, because it would cut Hawai‘i’s solar income tax credit by 50%. This makes rooftop solar and solar hot water heater systems more unaffordable for our residents, and decimates our local solar industry at a time where we need to save jobs, diversify our economy, and address the climate crisis.

Please submit written testimony in OPPOSITION TO SB1237 before Friday 2/5 @ 3 PM. Testimony must be submitted via your account at www.capitol.hawaii.gov

SAMPLE TESTIMONY:

Aloha Senator Wakai and committee members of EET,

I am writing to you today to express my opposition to SB1237 and am asking that you defer this bill.

As written, SB1237 cuts the solar tax credit dollar cap in half for all solar projects retroactive to January 1st, 2021. That includes community solar projects, affordable housing projects, and everyday folks who are choosing to control their own energy costs right now.

This approach is blunt force trauma to an economic engine at a time when we need to be stitching our economy back together with proven investments. The rooftop solar industry currently makes up over 50% of the State’s progress towards its renewable energy goals. Solar employs thousands of local workers in diverse positions and pays them well. Solar projects drive bill reduction for all ratepayers – rooftop solar and energy efficiency like solar hot water have reduced all ratepayer electric bills by over 20% since 2012.

Hawaii has an opportunity to lead the fight against climate change. Short sighted bills like SB1237 move us in the opposite direction, make us less resilient, and more reliant on imported, expensive, and dirty fossil fuels.

Continuing to lead and working together to build a better Hawaii is what will pull us out of our current pandemic. Please defer SB1237. 

Mahalo,

{YOUR NAME}

OTHER TALKING POINTS:

  • SB1237 retroactively halves the dollar value cap for all solar projects. Customers who purchase a system (or have already purchased a system) in 2021 are screwed.

  • HECO's own models demonstrate that every rooftop is needed to reach Hawaii's 100% renewable goal. This bill challenges Hawaii's clean energy future and continues our reliance on dirty fossil fuels.

  • The average residential bill in Hawaii has dropped by 20% because of rooftop solar and energy efficiency. This is an incredible Hawaii-grown success story. Arbitrarily lowering the tax credit now assures further hardship on those who need rate relief the most.

  • The solar industry has been a main driver keeping Hawaii's economy going throughout the COVID pandemic. We employ thousands of local workers in diverse, good paying jobs. Over 70% of the solar industry is locally owned and operated - passing this bill would be devastating to the economic engine keeping Hawaii's economy afloat.

  • Multiple studies have shown that the solar tax credit is a net positive investment. For every credit dollar issued the State gets back 2 - 2.5 times its investment. Rather than pull back, the State should show alignment with Federal policy to further invest in combating climate change and stimulate the economy through proven investments.

Please log in to your account at www.capitol.hawaii.gov and submit testimony in opposition to SB 1237. Thank you!

*Reposted Action Alert, courtesy of the Hawai‘i Solar Energy Association*