Hawaii Governor Josh Green has signed legislation directing the state's Department of Transportation to establish a Clean Fuel Standard (CFS) programme, making Hawaii the fifth US state to adopt a low-carbon fuel scheme of this kind.
The bill, SB 2999, follows a two-year advocacy and rulemaking process and was welcomed by the RNG Coalition, which provided testimony throughout. The other four states with CFS programmes in operation are California, Oregon, Washington and New Mexico.
Sam Wade, vice president of public policy at RNG Coalition, said the signing positioned Hawaii 'for a more energy-secure and abundant future', adding that CFS programmes had demonstrably increased production of low-carbon fuels and led to near-total replacement of certain fossil-based road fuels in select markets over the past decade.
Hawaii's energy profile makes the development particularly significant. The state is uniquely dependent on imported petroleum among US states and currently faces the highest residential gas costs in the country. An increased share of bio-based fuels in its road transportation mix is expected to reduce that dependence over time.
The state currently has one operational renewable natural gas project, at the Honouliuli Wastewater Treatment Plant, alongside a planned facility that would convert bana grass into RNG.
Wade described CFS programmes as 'scalable, flexible instruments in a broader move toward energy diversity across North America', noting that RNG facilities offered low-carbon and in many cases carbon-negative outcomes for surrounding communities.
Hawaii becomes fifth US state to adopt Clean Fuel Standard
