Pump Cleaner Fuel, Hawaii

Legislation to improve Hawai’i’s air quality by reducing the amount of pollution in gas and diesel died last week in the State House Commerce and Consumer Protection Committee.

Despite overwhelming passage by Hawai’i’s State Senate, SB 2768, the clean fuel standard, wasn’t given a vote by the mandated deadline to move bills out of committee in the 2024 legislative session, effectively killing it for the year. 

Supporters had hoped to make Hawai’i the fifth state to pass a clean fuel standard because it has resulted in better public health and the replacement of over 21 billion gallons of dirty, petroleum fuel with cleaner sources made from recycled cooking oils and greases as well as food waste, farm waste, and forest waste.

Diverting these types of organic waste from landfills has benefitted consumers in states that have adopted clean fuel standards. Drivers are now spending less of their household budgets on fuel because large oil companies have to compete with greener gas and diesel for drivers’ dollars for the first time in over 100 years. 

With so many legislative supporters, including bill sponsors Senators Glenn Waikai, Dru Kanuha, Michelle Kidani, Chris Lee, and Maile Shimabukuro as well as House sponsors, Representatives Nicole Lowen, Elle Cochran, Luke Evslin, Cedric Gates, Trish La Chica, Lisa Marten, Amy Perruso, Chris Todd, and Justin Woodson, clean fuel legislation has a promising future in Hawai’i.