Chief energy officer of the Hawaii state energy office; duties
HRS §196-72
in effect196-72. Chief energy officer of the Hawaii state energy office; duties
(a) The Hawaii state energy office shall be led by the chief energy officer, who shall be nominated and, by and with the advice and consent of the senate, appointed by the governor; provided that the term of the chief energy officer shall be coterminous with the term of the governor.
(b) The chief energy officer shall have:
(1) Experience, knowledge, and expertise in policy,
programs, or services related to energy efficiency, renewable energy, clean
transportation, and energy resiliency related activities and development; and
(2) Experience in a supervisory or administrative
capacity.
(c) The chief energy officer shall hire staff
necessary to carry out the purposes of this part. The chief energy officer and
employees of the Hawaii state energy office shall be exempt from chapter 76 and
shall not be considered civil service employees but shall be entitled to any
employee benefit plan normally inuring to civil service employees.
(d) Subject to the approval of the governor,
the chief energy officer shall:
(1) Formulate, analyze, recommend, and implement
specific policies, strategies, and plans, in coordination with public and
private sector stakeholders, to cost-effectively and equitably achieve the
State's energy goals;
(2) Identify, track, and report key performance
measures and milestones related to the State's energy and decarbonization
goals;
(3) Provide technical assistance to state and county
agencies to assess and implement projects and programs related to energy
conservation and efficiency, renewable energy, clean transportation, energy
resiliency, and related measures;
(4) Coordinate the State's energy programs with those
of the federal government, other territory and state governments, the political
subdivisions of the State, departments of the State, and governments of nations
with interest in common energy resources;
(5) Identify market gaps and innovation opportunities,
collaborate with stakeholders, and facilitate public-private partnerships to
develop projects, programs, and tools to encourage private and public
exploration, research, and development of energy resources, distributed energy
resources, and data analytics that will support the State's energy and
decarbonization goals;
(6) Create and review proposed state actions that may
have a significant effect on the State's energy and decarbonization goals, report
to the governor their effect on the energy program, and perform other services
as may be required;
(7) Evaluate, recommend, and participate in the
development of incentives and programs that encourage the development of energy
efficiency, renewable energy, energy resiliency, distributed energy resources,
and clean transportation resources;
(8) Assess and evaluate the effectiveness and
continued necessity of existing energy related incentives, tax credits, and
programs, and provide recommendations and proposed changes;
(9) Develop and maintain a comprehensive and
systematic quantitative and qualitative capacity to analyze the status of
energy resources, systems, and markets, both in-state and in other states and
countries, particularly in relation to the State's economy, and to recommend,
develop proposals for, and assess the effectiveness of policy and regulatory
decisions, and energy emergency planning;
(10) Develop and recommend programs for, and assist
public agencies in the implementation of, energy assurance and energy
resilience;
(11) Support the development, evaluation, revision, and
adoption of energy-related codes and standards that advance the State's energy goals;
(12) Act as the State's energy data clearinghouse by
identifying, collecting, compiling, analyzing, publishing, and where possible,
monetizing energy and clean transportation data and analyses;
(13) Advocate for the State's energy and
decarbonization goals at relevant venues and departments, including but not
limited to the public utilities commission, legislature, and division of
consumer advocacy, to ensure that state energy policies and regulations align
with the state strategic goals and are data-driven;
(14) Support economic development and innovation
initiatives related to and resulting from the State's renewable energy and
distributed energy resources experience, capabilities, and data analyses;
(15) Facilitate the efficient, expedited permitting of
energy efficiency, renewable energy, clean transportation, and energy
resiliency projects by:
(A) Coordinating and aligning state and
county departments and agencies to support, expedite, and remove barriers to
deployment of energy initiatives and projects; and
(B) Identify and evaluate conflicting or
onerous policies and rules that unreasonably impede project development and
deployment and propose regulatory, legislative, administrative, or other solutions
to applicable stakeholders;
(16) Identify and recommend policies to align utility
goals with those of ratepayers, including evaluating utility models that best
support state energy goals;
(17) Prepare and submit an annual report and other
reports as may be requested to the governor and to the legislature on the
implementation of this part;
(18) Contract for services when required for the
implementation of this part; and
(19) Adopt rules, pursuant to chapter 91, for the
administration of this part.
[L 2019, c 122, pt of §2]
Source: Hawaii State Legislature (capitol.hawaii.gov), via Internet Archive capturesURL: http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/hrscurrent/Vol03_Ch0121-0200D/HRS0196/HRS_0196-0072.htmFetched: 11/10/2026