Hawaii Act 73: Environmental response, energy and food security tax
Act 73, Session Laws of Hawaii 2010, established the environmental response, energy, and food security tax, otherwise known as the barrel tax, to provide resources for addressing the effects of climate change on the state. The Act increased the per-barrel tax on petroleum products and created a fund for clean energy, agriculture, and adaptation initiatives in Hawaii.
The Act was put in place to support the state’s efforts to become energy and food self-sufficient and sustainable through an economic development taskforce, funding mechanisms, and policy implementation across agencies. Support for adaptation of Hawaii’s natural resources to climate change is also a focus of the Act.
The bill addressed the vulnerability of Hawaii to its dependency on food and energy imports (85% and 95% respectively at the time) as well as the “mass consumption of fossil fuels” due to this dependency on imports.
This Act revised environmental response funding to include programs that support environmental protection and natural resource protection programs, including [but not limited to] energy conservation and alternative energy development.
Publication Date: April 29, 2010
Related Organizations:
- State of Hawaii
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- Laws
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