PHOTOS & VIDEO: Hirono, EPA Regional Administrator Highlight Federal Funding for Hawaii, Additional Funding Opportunities and Visit Kunia Farm

HONOLULU, HI – Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), a member of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, joined U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Regional Administrator Martha Guzman in events to highlight the partnership between state, local, and federal entities in support of Hawaii’s farmers and renewable energy initiatives. The events were part of an Investing in America tour and highlighted three separate funding announcements made possible by the Biden-Harris Administration’s Inflation Reduction Act, which Senator Hirono helped pass last year.

“The Inflation Reduction Act—which I proudly supported last year—is the largest action on climate change ever passed by Congress, enabling the creation of funding programs, such as the Climate Pollution Reduction Grant program,” said Senator Hirono. “Hawaii is a national leader in combatting climate change and it is incumbent upon the state to submit a strong proposal for the Solar for All Program to help us meet our energy sustainability goals. I look forward to continuing my work with officials from EPA, the state, and Hawaii’s counties to help ensure that our communities have the necessary resources to protect our planet for generations to come.”

“EPA is proud to provide these grants to Honolulu and the State of Hawai’i to help them enhance their already ambitious greenhouse gas reduction plans and actualize Hawai’i’s 2035 climate goals,” said U.S. EPA Regional Administrator for the Pacific Southwest Martha Guzman. “These grants will help deepen their investments in distributed solar and will help them leverage potential from the $7 billion Solar for All program.”

First, Senator Hirono and Regional Administrator Guzman held a press conference with U.S. Representative Ed Case (D-HI) and Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi to announce $4 million in total federal funding being awarded to the City and County of Honolulu and the State of Hawaii through two separate Climate Pollution Reduction Planning grants. The funding will help both the City and County of Honolulu and the State of Hawaii develop comprehensive plans to reduce harmful climate emissions and strengthen the sustainability of our communities. These grants also enable the City and County of Honolulu and the State of Hawaii to apply for the competitive $4.75 Climate Pollution Reduction Implementation grants to enact these plans.

The leaders also announced the launch of a first-of-its-kind, nationwide, $7 billion Solar for All Program, which seeks to expand opportunities for disadvantaged communities to adopt residential and community solar. This program—which is open to states, tribal governments, municipalities, and nonprofits—will help families all across the country afford clean solar energy. It will also provide good-paying green jobs and increase clean energy supply, while lowering consumer costs nationwide.

All three announcements were made possible thanks to the historic Inflation Reduction Act. Senator Hirono, Regional Administrator Guzman, Representative Case, and Mayor Blangiardi were also joined by Dawn Chang, Chair of the Department of Land and Natural Resources and Co-Chair of the Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Commission; James “Jimmy” Kunane Tokioka, Director of the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism and Chair of the Hawaii Green Infrastructure Authority; and Gwen Yamamoto Lau, Executive Director of the Hawaii Green Infrastructure Authority.

Following the press conference, Senator Hirono and Regional Administrator Guzman visited Pacific Gateway Center’s farmland in Kunia. For over ten years, Pacific Gateway’s farming program has primarily served refugee and immigrant farmers and their families. They lease 176 acres of farmland and the farmers produce a wide variety of food, such as cucumbers, tomatoes, squash, bananas, and more. These farmers also work to establish outlets to sell produce to large food distributors, restaurants, and at farmers’ markets.

As a member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, Senator Hirono has championed legislation to protect Hawaii’s environment, fish, wildlife, and plants, while also working to support local farmers and agriculture, and speed the transition to clean, renewable energy in Hawaii and across the country. Last month, Senator Hirono introduced the RTCP Revitalization Act, legislation to secure additional funding for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Reimbursement Transportation Cost Payment (RTCP) Program. The program enables geographically disadvantaged farmers and ranchers in Hawaii, Alaska, and other insular areas to receive reimbursements for costs incurred when transporting supplies such as feed, fertilizer, and equipment parts. In November 2022, Senator Hirono also sent a letter to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack, urging the USDA to establish a Climate Hub in Hawaii to better serve the state and the Pacific basin. Last October, Senator Hirono announced that the Hawaii Department of Education will receive nearly $5 million to procure 25 new electric school buses as part of the EPA’s Clean School Bus Program. In July 2022, Senator Hirono convened a hearing of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Energy to discuss the ways to reduce energy prices in the U.S.

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