Hawaii’s On-Bill Solar Financing Measure Dead

Hawaii lawmakers are killing a proposal that would have allowed residents to pay off up-front costs of solar panels and other energy-saving appliances through their power bills.

Energy Committee Chairman Denny Coffman said Tuesday he had too many concerns about how the legislation would work to pass it this year. Coffman, a Democrat representing Kailua-Kona, said existing tax credits and private sector incentives already significantly reduce the cost of installing energy-efficient appliances.

He also said the state can’t afford the financial risk of providing loan guarantees to banks financing the loans. Coffman said the issues need to be studied further before the measure could have a chance of becoming law.