SB 2671 Summary

• Establishes two goals for Hawaii's Department of Education sustainable schools initiative: achieving net-zero energy use by January 1, 2035, and using zero-emission vehicles for all school-related transportation by January 1, 2035.

• Requires the department to transition all school buses and contracted transportation services to zero-emission vehicles, citing health benefits to students and alignment with Hawaii's carbon-negative economy goal by 2045.

• Maintains existing requirement to use 2015-2016 fiscal year energy consumption as the benchmark for measuring progress toward the net-zero energy goal.

• Requires the department to submit annual pre-session reports to the legislature detailing progress on both net-zero energy and zero-emission transportation goals, including current vehicle inventory assessments and implementation plans.

• Continues requirement for expedited cooling of public school classrooms while maximizing energy efficiency and cost savings over the project lifetime.