Honolulu City Council Committee on Energy, Environment and Sustainability Meeting - September 22, 2026

The Honolulu City Council Committee on Energy, Environment and Sustainability convened on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, in a hybrid meeting held in the Council Chamber and remotely by interactive conference technology pursuant to Section 92-3.7, Hawaii Revised Statutes. Committee Chair Wire presided, joined by Councilmember Tolba and Vice Chair Dos Santos Tam in the chamber, with Councilmember Tupola participating remotely by video conference. The committee took up three agenda items: an informational briefing on the Oahu Climate Action Plan update, Resolution 26208 accepting a gift of travel expenses, and an informational briefing on the city's electrification of transportation initiatives.

Public Comments & Testimony

• One member of the public testified on the Climate Action Plan update, expressing strong support for the thoughtfulness with which the effort was conducted. The speaker, who was educated in science including climate science at the University of Hawaii, noted the document is very and properly heavy in mitigation efforts; the testimony concluded before the speaker could elaborate further on adaptation.
• No members of the public registered or offered remote or in-person testimony on Resolution 26208 or the electrification of transportation briefing.

Discussion Items

Informational Briefing: Oahu Climate Action Plan Update (Office of Climate Change, Sustainability and Resiliency - CCSR)

• CCSR presented the Climate Action Plan update, identifying 26 priority actions to implement over the next five years and outlining the foundation, methodologies, and analysis supporting the recommended strategies. CCSR recommended that if the city continues reducing emissions today, it can help limit the severity and cost of conditions Oahu must face while adapting to tomorrow, including lowering household costs, reducing city operation fees and costs, and improving clean air.
• CCSR noted a smaller handful of the actions are no longer relevant and that robust priorities need to move forward, with regular updates to the council so adjustments can be made through bills, resolutions, and committee conversations. Two of the 26 actions were highlighted as climate mitigation strategies that pair good information with municipal action for the next five years while paying attention to community needs.
• Vice Chair Dos Santos Tam referenced the five major action areas, with the fifth being waste, and asked about agency leads and co-partners, whether a table listing these existed in the plan, and the annual reporting timeline. CCSR confirmed it will provide reports on both the first and updated Climate Action Plans simultaneously, due by the end of April each year, and will come to the council early before that due date to show data progress.
• Councilmember Tupola asked which of the 26 priority actions have departmental buy-in, noting it would be useful to know which ones other departments support so the council could come behind them with support and funding. CCSR acknowledged bi-monthly coordinated meetings with departments, resource constraints including staffing, and the need to connect on CCSR meeting participation, where 28 people representing different agencies discuss topics in depth. CCSR committed to being relentless in ensuring plans and policies move forward across departments, not only through CCSR.
• Councilmember Tupola referenced the YNE readiness review, a partnership being conducted in collaboration with the University of Hawaii at Manoa and the SOIST school, and asked about a point person. CCSR clarified it is part of the steering committee and project team rather than the lead agency.
• Discussion addressed the city's climate resiliency fund: CCSR noted current limitations on eligible uses of CRF funds, including whether grant making and support for infrastructure are allowed, and that Proposal 224, if it advances from the Charter Commission, would authorize CCSR to help move the climate resiliency fund through grant funding. The council is still considering which ballot question would be referenced for next steps.
• Staffing was discussed, including the lack of any full-time or grant-funded staff for the zero waste program, the Oahu Good Food Program position being in process, and whether the One Water position discussed in the prior budget cycle would be contemplated in the upcoming proposed budget or require a conversation next year. CCSR noted the city has been using conventional procurement and purchasing mechanisms such as RFPs and RFQ's to manage procurement law and BFS rules.

Resolution 26208 - Gift of Travel Expenses for Indigenous People's Climate Change Working Group

• CCSR presented Resolution 26208, accepting a gift of travel-related expenses valued at $1,304.04 to the city from the Haskell Foundation for a representative from the Office of Climate Change, Sustainability and Resiliency to attend the Indigenous People's Climate Change Working Group in-person workshop from September 22 to 25 in Kansas City, Missouri. A CCSR staff member participates in the working group on behalf of CCSR and was invited to the in-person convening.
• No committee questions were raised, no public testimony was offered in person or online, and testimony was closed with no additional discussion.

Informational Briefing: City Electrification of Transportation Initiatives (CCSR)

• CCSR presented the briefing as part of National Drive Electric Month, which was described as the last two months of September and first two weeks of October, with the presentation available online as Mayor's Message 120-2026. CCSR coordinates initiatives across the city, including under the city's energy savings performance contract led by the Department of Design and Construction (DDC).
• CCSR developed internal tools tied to the city's annual sustainability report that allow departments to see which vehicles they use, past usage, and estimated future usage so they are comfortable purchasing an EV that meets their needs. The city prefers to have chargers in place before purchasing vehicles because departments are risk-averse and have expressed concerns about both initial capital costs and operating costs, including the risk of losing funds if not encumbered in time.
• The city installed six public chargers and piloted two EVs with a range of 60 miles. In 2020 and 2021, additional chargers were installed under the energy savings performance contract and other CIP projects, such as the bus-ready line at Middle Street.
• Last year, over 50,000 vehicles were registered on Oahu, with fewer than two charging ports available for every hundred vehicles. HICO estimates the city will need more than 2,000 public chargers by 2030 to support demand. Encouraging public transit was highlighted as one way to decrease the number of chargers needed.
• The city's public charging network will double in size and add seven new locations in the coming months and years. The fleet modernization working group, established by the mayor's renewable fleet policy, has supported these efforts. The city is exploring migrating to different vendors for charger management software so it is not tied to only one vendor, with the software used to manage the network, control power, track usage, and potentially collect revenue.
• Councilmember Tupola asked about roles and whether the city is prioritizing EVs or having discussions about other alternative fuels. Discussion also addressed the resiliency fund's usefulness for action items, with CCSR noting the federal agency review occurred in August and approvals on the EPA's part had already occurred.

Key Outcomes

• The committee received and discussed the informational briefings on the Oahu Climate Action Plan update and the city's electrification of transportation initiatives.
• Resolution 26208 was taken up with no committee questions and no public testimony; no opposition was raised, and the committee proceeded to the next agenda item.
• CCSR committed to providing reports on both the first and updated Climate Action Plans by the end of April annually and to appearing before the council early with progress data.
• CCSR agreed to connect with Councilmember Tupola regarding CCSR meeting attendance and to identify which priority actions have departmental support, along with accompanying funding needs for proposed policies.
• No formal roll-call votes were captured in the available transcript; the meeting was adjourned after discussion concluded on all three agenda items.