(a) The public utilities commission, in consultation with electric vehicle stakeholders and the Hawaii state energy office, shall administer a rebate program that incentivizes the installation or upgrade of an electric vehicle charging system, as provided in this section, and may contract with a third-party administrator pursuant to section 269-73 to operate and manage the rebate program.
Terms Used In Hawaii Revised Statutes 269-72
- Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
- Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
- county: includes the city and county of Honolulu. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 1-22
- Fiscal year: The fiscal year is the accounting period for the government. For the federal government, this begins on October 1 and ends on September 30. The fiscal year is designated by the calendar year in which it ends; for example, fiscal year 2006 begins on October 1, 2005 and ends on September 30, 2006.
- Remainder: An interest in property that takes effect in the future at a specified time or after the occurrence of some event, such as the death of a life tenant.
(d) The public utilities commission shall:
(1) Prepare any forms that may be necessary for an applicant to claim a rebate pursuant to this section; and
(2) Require each applicant to furnish reasonable information to ascertain the validity of the claim, including but not limited to documentation necessary to demonstrate that the installation or upgrade for which the rebate is claimed is eligible.
(e) This section shall apply to electric vehicle charging systems that are installed or upgraded after December 31, 2019.
(f) Applicants shall submit applications to the public utilities commission within twelve months of the date that the newly installed or upgraded charging system is placed into service to claim a rebate from the electric vehicle charging system rebate program. Failure to apply to the commission within twelve months of the date that the newly installed or upgraded charging system is placed into service shall constitute a waiver of the right to claim the rebate. Rebates shall be subject to available funds, and the program administrator shall not approve additional rebates for the remainder of the fiscal year after program funds have been fully exhausted.
(g) Nothing in this section shall alter taxes due on the original purchase or upgrade price of an electric vehicle charging system before the application of the rebate. Any rebate received pursuant to the electric vehicle charging system rebate program shall not be considered income for the purposes of state or county taxes.
(h) In administering the electric vehicle charging system rebate program, the public utilities commission shall give consideration to the following guidelines:
(1) Priority should be given to electric vehicle charging systems that are publicly available; serve multiple tenants, employees, or customers; serve electric vehicle fleets; support the visitor industry in transitioning to clean transportation; or serve low-income, moderate-income, or environmental justice communities;
(2) Electric vehicle charging system rebates should enhance broader public clean energy and grid resiliency goals by supporting deployment of electric vehicle charging systems that can regulate their time of use, be networked and co-optimized with other electric vehicle charging systems, and otherwise provide grid services or other benefits to the utility and electric grid;
(3) Electric vehicle charging systems that serve a single person, such as a reserved parking stall or a single-family residence, shall not be eligible for rebates;
(4) Electric vehicle charging system rebates should support accessibility of charging to as many electric vehicle drivers as feasible; and
(5) The program administrator may propose new or modified guidelines to be considered in addition to those specified in this subsection and should have the flexibility to make programmatic adjustments due to market changes, technological advancements, and levels of participation to ensure the prudent use of taxpayer funds and to effectively manage the program budget.
(i) As used in this section:
“Alternating current Level 2 charging station”, commonly referred to as “Level 2 charging station”, means an electric vehicle charging system that utilizes alternating current electricity providing at least three kilowatts and means a system that:
(1) Is capable of providing electricity from a non-vehicle source to charge the batteries of one or more electric vehicles;
(2) Meets recognized standards and protocols including, but not limited to, Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) J1772TM of SAE International and Tesla protocol; and
(3) Is designed and installed in compliance with article 625 of the National Electrical Code to appropriate Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratories’ standards.
“Applicant” means an individual; non-profit or for-profit corporation; local, state, or federal government agency; homeowner association; or any other eligible entity as defined under rules adopted for the electric vehicle charging system rebate program.
“Direct current fast charging system”, commonly referred to as “DC fast charging system”, means an electric vehicle charging system that utilizes direct current electricity providing forty kilowatts or greater and:
(1) Is capable of providing electricity from a non-vehicle source to charge the batteries of one or more electric vehicles;
(2) Meets recognized standards and protocols, including, but not limited to, Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) J1772TM of SAE International, Tesla protocol, and CHAdeMO protocol; and
(3) Is designed and installed in compliance with article 625 of the National Electrical Code to appropriate Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratories’ standards.
“Electric vehicle charging system” has the same meaning as Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment as defined in article 625.2 of the National Electrical Code, as amended.
