The following testimony was submitted by the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii for consideration by the House Committee on Energy & Environmental Protection on Jan. 29, 2026.
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Jan. 29, 2026, 9:30 a.m.
Hawaii State Capitol
Conference Room 325 and Videoconference
To: House Committee on Energy & Environmental Protection
Rep. Nicole Lowen, Chair
Rep. Amy Perruso, Vice Chair
From: Grassroot Institute of Hawaii
Ted Kefalas, Director of Strategic Campaigns
Re: HB1620 — RELATING TO TAXATION
Aloha Chair Lowen, Vice Chair Perruso and other members of the Committee,
The Grassroot Institute of Hawaii opposes HB1620, which would increase the environmental response, energy and food security tax from $1.05 to $1.15 per barrel of petroleum.
Hawaii’s residents and businesses cannot afford new taxes, tax increases, fees or surcharges. Any increase in the tax rates for petroleum products will only contribute to the high cost of living, especially the state’s high energy and gas prices.
Hawaii residents already pay the highest electricity prices in the country,[1] and the islands that depend heavily on petroleum to provide grid-scale electricity — especially Lanai, Molokai and Oahu — would be hit hardest by the increase proposed in this legislation.[2]
Thank you for the opportunity to testify.
Ted Kefalas
Director of Strategic Campaigns
Grassroot Institute of Hawaii
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[1] “Hawaii,” U.S. Energy Information Administration, May 15, 2025.
[2] Leon R. Roose, Marc Matsuura and Damon Schmidt, “Fundamentals of Energy Transition in the Pacific Island Countries and Territories,” GridSTART, Oct. 24, 2025, pp. 8-9.
