Mayor Roth signs Bill 66 accelerating clean energy transition

Mayor Mitch Roth has signed Bill 66, a policy change that will expedite the process of permitting solar electric systems, bringing about cost reductions for homeowners and bolstering the clean, green energy transition on Hawaiʻi Island.

The bill was authored and introduced by Councilmember Matt Kanealiʻi-Kleinfelder, who stated, “The intent of the bill is to align Hawaiʻi County with our sister counties, create cohesive efficiency in permitting requirements, and decrease the cost of Residential Solar Installations for our community.”

Bill 66 represents a pivotal amendment to Chapter 5, Article 4, Section 5-4-3 of the Hawaiʻi County Code 1983 (2016 Edition, as amended), explicitly addressing the regulations and requirements for installing photovoltaic systems. It introduces key amendments to streamline the permitting process for solar electric systems. The ordinance ensures that electrical design drawings and specifications, as well as plans and specifications for building work, are prepared by licensed professionals, simplifying the process for most solar electric systems.

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The primary goal of Bill 66 is to make it easier for homeowners to obtain permits for solar electric systems, ultimately driving down costs. 

“By signing Bill 66, we are again sending a message to the people of Hawaiʻi County that we are here to make permitting, building, and ultimately living here on Hawaiʻi Island easier for our residents,” said Mayor Mitch Roth. “We know that the cost of living is going up, that building material prices are increasing, and that interest rates are at a high. That’s why we’re doing all we can to ensure that our residents can continue calling Hawaiʻi Island home by working to eliminate the red tape and replacing it with commonsense approaches. We’d like to mahalo Councilmember Kānealiʻi-Kleinfelder for drafting this bill and our Council for ultimately approving it.”    

Marco Mangelsdorf, representing ProVision Solar, commended the collaborative effort that led to the successful passage of Bill 66. “From the initial idea this past summer to implementation in the fall, this beneficial and practical policy change coming to fruition reminds me that the government can and does work to promote the needed change to accelerate the clean, green energy transition on our island. Bill 66, going into effect, will make it easier to get the vast majority of solar electric systems permitted and bring down the cost to homeowners. I’m grateful to Councilmember Matt Kānealiʻi-Klienfelder, the County Council, and Mayor Roth for their support in making this happen.” Mangelsdorf remarked.

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Bill 66 marks the culmination of months of collaboration with County Departments and Electrical and Solar Photovoltaic Industry leaders. The positive outcomes of these partnerships include aligning Hawaiʻi County with sister counties, creating cohesive efficiency in permitting requirements and decreasing the cost of residential solar installations in the community.

Mariah Yoshizu, Government Affairs Associate at Ulupono Initiative, expressed her gratitude for the positive step towards a more economical installation of residential solar systems. Michael Colón, Director of the Energy Sector, echoed the sentiment: “We look forward to supporting initiatives to help reduce customer bills and provide cleaner energy for the community.”

Mayor Roth encourages residents to explore the benefits of this policy change and take proactive steps toward adopting solar energy solutions for their homes.