In an unprecedented move, at the Asia Pacific Resilience Summit in Honolulu, Hawaii’s Governor David Ige made public his intention to lead his state towards 100% renewable energy. The bold actions instantly transform the state into a world climate leader, and will provide a strong example for other states that a transition to renewable energy is both obtainable and beneficial.
Hawaii’s move towards renewables represents the most ambitious clean energy plan in the US. In his address, Ige cited the economic benefits of renewables, the decreased costs associated with green infrastructure, and an imperative to transition away from fossil fuels. The push towards renewables is also expected to empower the state’s economy, adding an important component to the tourist and military sectors.
What is underway in Hawaii can be expanded throughout the United States. With aging infrastructure, the state was expected to double down on fossil fuels and construct natural gas power plants. The bold intervention of Governor Ige shows that leadership matters, and that by taking action, community and civic leaders at all levels of government can make a difference—putting their communities on the right Path to Positive climate solutions!
Hawaii’s Governor Dumps Oil and Gas in Favor of 100 Percent Renewables
By Juan Cole | The Nation | August 26, 2015
At the Asia Pacific Resilience Innovation Summit held in Honolulu, Hawaii, this week, Governor David Ige dropped a bombshell. His administration will not use natural gas to replace the state’s petroleum-fueled electricity plants, but will make a full-court press toward 100 percent renewables by 2045. Ige’s decisive and ambitious energy vision is making Hawaii into the world’s most important laboratory for humankind’s fight against climate change. He has, in addition, attracted an unlikely and enthusiastic partner in his embrace of green energy—the US military.
Ige said Monday that LNG (liquefied natural gas) will not save the state money over time, given the plummeting prices of renewables. Moreover, “it is a fossil fuel,” i.e., it emits dangerous greenhouse gases. He explained that local jurisdictions in Hawaii are putting up a fight against natural gas, making permitting difficult. Finally, any money put into retooling electric plants so as to run on gas, he said, is money that would better be invested in the transition to green energy.
