SB2629, also called the Coal Free Hawaiʻi Bill, bans the burning of coal for electricity beyond the end of 2022.  

 

Believe it or not, Hawaiʻi still depends on coal to produce electricity. According to Blue Planet's Island Pulse, around 20% of Oʻahu's electricity is generated by the AES coal-fired Power Plant. Although the combustion of coal is detrimental to our environment, another pressing issue is how the coal ash impacts our local residents. 

 

Coal ash is the by-product of burning coal. Highly toxic, it contains elements such as mercury which are dangerous to human health. This coal ash is dumped on the West side of Oʻahu, thereby disproportionately impacting a community that has a high proportion of Native Hawaiians. This is an environmental injustice, and not something that HYCC can simply watch unfold. This is why we stood alongside organizations such as the Sierra Club of Hawaiʻi and the Blue Planet Foundation to pass the Coal Free Hawaiʻi Bill. 

 

With Governor Ige's signature, the Coal Free Hawaiʻi Bill is now law as Act 023.