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Contact Jim: jdipeso@rep.org (253) 740-2066 / 2008 Archive / 2007 Archive / 2006 Archive / 2005 Archive
Energy Made in Paradise
February 4, 2008
Way out in the Pacific, 2,500 miles from the mainland U.S., Hawaii seldom draws attention in national affairs. Largely as a result of geography, the 50th state often is left to its own devices.
In the maelstrom of the most open and hard-fought presidential campaign in recent memory, there seems even less reason to pay mind to Hawaii.
Except that when the campaign carnival has finally run its course on November 4, the hard work of dealing with energy policy, climate change, and other pressing issues must resume in force. As they figure out redirection of America’s energy course, the election victors could do worse than take a serious look at what Hawaii is up to.
On January 28, Republican Governor Linda Lingle announced a plan to transform Hawaii’s energy economy to a minimum of 70 percent renewable by 2030. It’s a joint venture between the state and federal government to develop plans and programs to dramatically lower dependence on fossil fuels.
Today, Hawaii is one of the most fossil-dependent states in America. Ninety percent of the state’s total energy and 75 percent of its electricity are generated by carbon-based fuels, mainly oil shipped from Alaska and foreign countries.
Among the 50 states, Hawaii is uniquely vulnerable to the stresses and strains of the global oil market, and to the projected impacts of global warming.
Also among the 50 states, Hawaii is the most richly endowed with renewable resources. Yes, the Southwest has abundant sunlight, the coastal Northwest has powerful tides, and wind shrieks across the Great Plains.
But Hawaii has them all – sun, wind, falling water, underground heat, biomass, and some of the richest ocean wave and thermal resources found anywhere in the world. The potential seems endless.
Potential and 50 cents, however, will only get you a cup of bad coffee unless technical, cost, regulatory, and other barriers to full-throttle use of renewables are cleared away. The Hawaii clean energy agreement that Governor Lingle and the U.S. Department of Energy signed is ambitious, but it’s not binding. A great deal of detail must be filled in on scaling up renewable technologies, financing projects, and designing policies that give renewables a foothold in the energy market.
Still, once the campaign commotion of 2008 has settled down and we return our full attention to governance in 2009, the Hawaii experiment will bear watching. Let’s hope that all energy roads lead to paradise.
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