HAWAII IS ALL ABOUT NEW ENERGY

For Hawaii, big push to go green is natural; The resource-rich state depends almost entirely on imported oil to fuel its vehicles and stoke its power plants. It aims to obtain 70% of its total energy needs from clean sources within 20 years.
Alana Semuels, February 4, 2010 (LA Times)

"…Tiny Hawaii is gunning for the title of the nation's green energy capital. It's aiming to obtain 70% of its total energy needs from clean sources within 20 years…That ambitious target blows the solar panels off California's mandate to get a third of its electricity from renewables by 2020. But Hawaiian officials have concluded their state has little choice.

"This tropical paradise is an energy beggar that depends almost solely on oil…[is] vulnerable to spills, price swings and geopolitics. Hawaii residents already pay the highest pump prices and electricity rates in the country. The state imports around 51 million barrels of oil, costing billions annually…[and climate change’s] threat of rising seas and pounding storms linked to climate change has put Hawaii on a collision course with Mother Nature."

A New Energy dynamo. (click to enlarge)

"…[Hawaii's] environmentalists hope the state can [show it is possible] to transform the nation's most energy-dependent state into its cleanest and most sustainable…The state this year began requiring that all new homes be built with solar water heaters…[and] working with electric transport firm Better Place…to jump-start mass use of electric vehicles on the islands. Meanwhile, the state's public utilities commission is devising a compensation system to encourage homeowners and businesses to go solar…

click to enlarge

"The policies stem from an agreement Hawaii signed with the Department of Energy in 2008…to obtain 70% of its total energy needs by 2030 -- 40% from renewable electricity generation and the remaining 30% from energy efficiency. Known as the Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative, that agreement has since been strengthened with binding legislation…About 6.5% of Hawaii's electricity came from renewable sources other than hydroelectric power in 2007…"

The interisland cable. (click to enlarge)

"…Hawaii's small size and unique geography could prove advantageous…[I]ts energy consumption is small. The islands have abundant solar, wind, geothermal and wave resources. And Hawaiians are less likely to object to the cost of renewables since they already pay high energy prices…The state is looking into building a 30-mile undersea cable to link proposed wind farms on Lanai and Molokai into the electric grids on Oahu and Maui. A local company is working to provide air conditioning in 40 downtown Honolulu buildings using chilly sea water pumped from three miles out in the ocean. And Hawaii's own Gas Co. is using municipal solid waste and animal fat to make synthetic natural gas…

"The Big Island's grid already obtains about one-third of its power from renewables…including solar, wind and geothermal…[and is experimenting]…Hawaii's other islands are getting on board…The military is also experimenting…"