Court Orders Hawaii Agency to Follow Water Heater Mandate
HILO, Hawaii (AP) — A Hawaii court has ordered the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism to follow the state law that requires all new single-family homes to have solar water heaters.
The Hawaii Tribune-Herald reports Judge Jeffrey Crabtree ruled this week that the law allows the agency discretion to consider variances for gas water heaters only on a case-by-case basis.
Environmental law organization Earthjustice had sued the department on behalf of Hawaii Solar Energy Association and Sierra Club, claiming it “rubber-stamped” almost all variance requests.
The department has approved more than 6,500 exemptions since the law was enacted 11 years ago.
Department spokesman Alan Yonan says the agency was “making a good faith effort to follow the statute.”
He says the state attorney general will decide whether to appeal the ruling.
Information from: Hawaii Tribune-Herald
