Webinar Recap: Updates on the Green Fee Evaluation Criteria & Recommendations Process
On November 20, 2025, the Green Fee Advisory Council hosted its second public webinar to share updates on how project ideas for Green Fee funding are evaluated, along with insights into the timeline and next steps for the Advisory Council’s recommendations. Mahalo to the hundreds of community members, agencies and departments, and organizations who joined us to learn more about the process.
What We Covered:
Act 96 & Purpose of the Green Fee
The Green Fee is expected to generate approximately $100 million annually to strengthen environmental conservation, climate and disaster resilience, and sustainable tourism statewide.
Overview of Evaluated Projects
The council shared a high-level snapshot of the project ideas received from:
State Departments & Agencies: 105 proposals submitted through the Budget & Finance process
Public Idea Portals: 484 ideas submitted by community members, nonprofits, local businesses, and counties
Evaluation Criteria: How Projects Are Scored
The Council shared the five criteria used to evaluate all Green Fee project proposals and their 1-4 scoring process. The five evaluation criteria are:
Results
Readiness
Relevance
Relationships
Region
To learn more about each criterion and how the scoring process works, read our full breakdown here.
Process & Timeline
The Council has completed initial project scoring and is currently prioritizing projects to include in its final list of recommendations to Governor Green. These recommendations will be released publicly in early January 2026 during a dedicated Green Fee Advisory Council webinar. Community members can sign up for email updates to be notified as soon as the date is announced and the recommendations are published.
Key upcoming milestones include:
October - December 2025: Council evaluates proposals, makes recommendations to Governor Green.
December 2025: Governor Green sends his Supplemental Executive Budget to the Legislature.
January 1, 2026: TAT increases to 11%; Green Fee funds officially start collecting.
Spring 2026: Legislature appropriates funding, and the Council recommends a go-forward process for Green Fee funding.
July 2026: Start of FY2027, Green Fee funding is available to departments.
Mahalo for Joining Us
We appreciate everyone who attended and contributed thoughtful questions throughout the webinar. An update to the FAQ page will be posted soon on the FAQ page
