(BIVN) – A Senate Bill seeking to fund geothermal energy exploration in Hawaiʻi is moving through the State House of Representatives. 

SB 2518 SD2 HD1 would appropriate funds for the Hawaiʻi State Energy Office “to conduct a statewide environmental assessment for, and subsequently administer, a geothermal resources characterization program under the direction of the Hawaiʻi Groundwater and Geothermal Resources Center at the University of Hawaiʻi.” 

According to testimony in support of the measure submitted by the Hawaiʻi State Energy Office (HSEO):

Because geothermal exploration and identification requires a significant investment by developers of upfront capital, it is appropriate for the State to provide underlying research to confirm the viability of geothermal, an important dispatchable renewable energy resource. This measure appropriately identifies the University of Hawai‘i’s Groundwater and Geothermal Resources Center as the appropriate research organization to work with HSEO to stimulate the private sector investment for geothermal electricity power generation. Such exploratory activities can also indicate the existence of geothermal for other uses such as direct use of steam from the ground. Data and knowledge gained from exploration can also provide information about resources such as groundwater and about soil composition for potential locations for carbon sequestration.

The bill was passed by the State Senate on March 5 and is now going through the State House committees. The House Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce held a hearing on the legislation on Wednesday afternoon.

Supporting the bill, Micah Munekata, the Director of Government Affairs at Ulupono Initiative, testified that a recent survey conducted by Ulupono in partnership with Anthology Research showed “a staggering 91% of respondents expressed their support for the expansion of renewable energy resources throughout the islands.” Munekata wrote:

Most residents seem to believe the Big Island is the only place in which geothermal energy can be commercially produced, and yet that assumption has never been thoroughly researched and confirmed. It’s worth noting that Ulupono’s 2024 survey showed that there is broad support for geothermal energy statewide, and more importantly more than 60% of respondents stated they would support the construction of a utility-scale geothermal power plant in their community if it meant a $30 per month savings per household.

The testimony led to later questioning from State Representative Richard Onishi.

“I represent a portion of Hawaiʻi island,” Rep. Onishi said. “Hawaiʻi island is the only island that currently has a geothermal plant that provides a significant amount of renewable energy to Hawaiʻi County. Yet, over the course of the last 30 years, there’s been significant community opposition to continued geothermal use, and also additional geothermal development.” 

“Wouldn’t it make sense for the first step to try to figure out where the public would be willing to have geothermal resource development take place?” Onishi asked.

“I think it can work together,” Munekata answered. “You don’t want to go around to a community if the geothermal resource isn’t even viable.” 

“I think the UH has done a really good job, as far as preliminary research goes, to try to identify some of these hotspots across these communities,”  Munekata  said. “And now we gotta go see: is it viable? And if it is, that’s when you’re also working in connection with the community to get buy-in.” 

The Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce recommended that the bill be passed, unamended. The measure has also been referred to the House Finance Committee.