Hawaii

Business Investment Tax Credit

Through December 31, 2010, taxpayers making a high technology business investment are eligible for a tax credit the year in which the investment is made and for the proceeding four years. A "qualified high technology business" is one in which more than 50% of the activities are qualified research (75% of which is conducted in Hawaii) and in which more than 75% of the income (i.e. income from products sold from, manufactured or produced in Hawaii or from services performed in Hawaii) is derived from qualified research. "Qualified research" includes research that is related to non-fossil fuel energy-related technology. The tax credit is equal to a percentage of the investment made, up to the following maximums:

If the tax credit exceeds the taxpayer's income tax liability for any of the five years that the credit is taken, the excess of the tax credit may be used as a credit in subsequent years until exhausted. A taxpayer may continue to claim the credits if the five-year period to claim the credits commences in taxable years beginning before January 1, 2010.

(Reference Hawaii Revised Statutes 235-7.3 and 235-110.9)

Point of Contact

Hawaii State Department of Taxation
Phone (800) 222-3229
http://www.state.hi.us/tax/tax.html

Alternative Fuels Promotion

The state of Hawaii has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) to establish the Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative. DOE and the state pledge to collaborate to produce 70% of the state’s energy needs from renewable sources by 2030. The goals of the partnership include defining the structural transformation required to transition the state to a clean energy-dominated economy; demonstrate and foster innovation in the use of clean energy, including alternative fuels; create opportunities for the widespread distribution of clean energy benefits; establish an open learning model for other states and entities to adopt; and build a workforce with cross-cutting skills to support a clean energy economy in the state. For more information about Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative, see the full text of the MOU (PDF 108 KB). Download Adobe Reader

Energy-Efficient Vehicle Acquisition Requirements

Once the state has met its federal and state vehicle purchase mandates, state agencies are required to purchase the most fuel-efficient vehicles that meet the needs of their programs, provided that a life-cycle cost benefit analysis of vehicle purchases includes projected fuel costs. All state agency light-duty vehicle (LDV) procurements must contain at least 40% energy-efficient vehicles as part of their annual vehicle acquisition plans. For each subsequent fiscal year, the percentage of energy-efficient vehicles must be five percent higher than the previous year, until at least 75% of each covered fleet's newly purchased LDVs are energy-efficient vehicles. Exclusions and exemptions may apply.

Agencies may offset the purchase requirements for energy-efficient vehicles by successfully demonstrating percentage improvements in their overall LDV fleet fuel economy. Additionally, agencies that use biodiesel fuel may offset the vehicle purchase requirements of this section at the rate of one vehicle per 450 gallons of neat biodiesel (B100) fuel used. State agencies are also required to purchase alternative fuels and ethanol blended gasoline when available, evaluate a purchase preference for biodiesel blends, and promote efficient operation of vehicles. (Reference Hawaii Revised Statutes 103D-412 and 196-9)

Alternative Fuel Development Support

The state is responsible for facilitating the development of alternative fuels and supporting the attainment of a statewide alternative fuels standard. The alternative fuels standard will be as follows: 10% of highway fuel use to be provided by alternative fuels by 2010, 15% by 2015, and 20% by 2020. For the purposes of the alternative fuels standard, ethanol produced from cellulosic materials is to be considered the equivalent of 2.5 gallons of non-cellulosic ethanol. (Reference Hawaii Revised Statutes 196-42)

Hydrogen Energy Plan and Fund

A Hawaii Renewable Hydrogen Program has been established within the state Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism to manage the state's transition to a renewable hydrogen economy. A Hydrogen Investment Capital Special Fund has been created to provide seed capital for, and venture capital investments in, private sector and federal projects for research, development, testing, and implementation of the Hawaii Renewable Hydrogen Program. The Hawaii Renewable Hydrogen Program is responsible for designing, implementing, and administering activities including:

1) Strategic partnerships for the research, development, testing, and deployment; engineering and economic evaluations;

2) Demonstration projects, including infrastructure for the production, storage, and refueling of hydrogen vehicles;

3) Statewide hydrogen economy public education and outreach plan promoting Hawaii's renewable hydrogen resources to potential partners and investors;

4) A plan, for implementation during 2007 to 2010, to deploy hydrogen technologies and infrastructure, including hydrogen production facilities, refueling stations, and vehicles;

5) A plan, for implementation during 2010 to 2020, to transition the island of Hawaii to a hydrogen-fueled economy and to extend the application of the plan throughout the state; and

6) Evaluation of policy recommendations to: encourage the adoption of hydrogen vehicles; continually fund the hydrogen investment capital special fund; and support investment in hydrogen infrastructure.

(Reference Hawaii Revised Statutes 196-10 and 211F-5.7)

Alternative Fuel Tax Rate

A distributor of any alternative fuel for operation in an internal combustion engine is required to pay a license tax of $0.025 for each gallon of alternative fuel sold or used by the distributor. In addition, a distributor is required to pay a license tax for each gallon of fuel sold or used by the distributor for operating a motor vehicle(s) on state public highways according to the following rates:

For other alternative fuels, the rate is based on the energy content of the fuels as compared to diesel fuel, using a lower heating value of 130,000 British thermal units per gallon as a standard for diesel, so that the tax rate, on an energy content basis, is equal to one-quarter the rate for diesel fuel. (Reference Hawaii Revised Statutes Section 243-4)