Hawaii
Creating a Sustainable Hawai‘i 2024 – Hawaii Business Magazine
As an island community, Hawai‘i’s well-being depends on sustainable systems, where people and nature exist in balance. Learn about efforts to increase food production in an ancient fishpond on O‘ahu, reuse treated wastewater on Maui and clean up the reefs of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands.
Photo: Getty Images
Letter from President and CEO Alicia Moy
COMMEMORATING ITS 120TH ANNIVERSARY THIS YEAR, HAWAI‘I GAS HAS THE DISTINCTION OF BEING ONE OF THE OLDEST COMPANIES STILL OPERATING IN THE ISLANDS TODAY. We’ve always been defined by innovation: as a critical infrastructure utility in the middle of the Pacific, our predecessors pioneered the use of new technologies to deliver clean, reliable energy to homes and businesses in Hawai‘i. Decades later, climate change is upon us—the challenge of our lifetimes. At Hawai‘i Gas, our employees are ready to meet that challenge head-on, joining many others charting a course focused on sustainability and resiliency for our island communities.
Hawaii Gas has led the nation in its use of hydrogen blended into the utility fuel mix on O‘ahu since 1974—decades before it became a favored clean energy solution. In 2016, Hawai‘i Gas diversified into utility-scale solar with the launch of Waihonu Solar Farm, and in 2018, the company partnered with the City & County of Honolulu to operate the state’s first Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) facility at the Honouliuli Wastewater Treatment plant. Our journey toward increasing production of locally produced, renewable energy continues. This year, we announced two more renewable energy projects on the horizon: a renewable green hydrogen project and an RNG project using non-invasive bana grass, both of which mark significant forward movement on our path to decarbonization.
As climate change raises the stakes immeasurably for all of us, we stand with those in our community taking bold action, driving innovative solutions, and advancing the state’s climate goals. Our future depends on it.
Alicia Moy
President and CEO
To learn more about Hawaii Gas, visit hawaiigas.com.
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Photos courtesy: Andrew Sullivan-Haskins
Removing Ghost Nets from the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands
Papahānaumokuākea Marine Debris Project has collected 786,287 pounds of derelict fishing nets and other debris from the vast Hawaiian archipelago.
Photos: Jeff Sanner
Restoration of He‘eia Fishpond Nears a Major Milestone
Paepae o He‘eia has spent decades removing mangroves and rebuilding the fishpond wall. The nonprofit is now gearing up to start sustainable fish production.
Photo: Getty Images
From Wastewater to Green Belt: An Ingenious Idea Takes Shape on Maui
A pilot project will use treated wastewater to create a green belt, protecting fire-prone Mā‘alaea and restoring coastal waters.
Gov. Josh Green today issued a statement regarding a federal lawsuit challenging the eligibility requirements within the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act.
“The Hawaiian Homes Commission Act was established to address the historic dispossession of Native Hawaiians and reflects a longstanding commitment to them by both the federal government and the state of Hawaiʻi,” said Green.
“This lawsuit threatens that commitment. I have directed the Department of the Attorney General to vigorously defend the Hawaiian Homes program. We will fight this lawsuit with everything we have,” he said.
The lawsuit was filed by Eric Ryan, an Oʻahu resident who is not Native Hawaiian and tried to apply for a lease, but was denied due to the 50% Native Hawaiian blood quantum requirement, according to Hawaiʻi News Now and court documents published at Courthouse News Service.
The Class Action Complaint argues that the “explicitly ancestry-based requirement” establishes a “permanent government mandate for state officials to engage in outright racial discrimination, perpetuates stereotypes, and limits housing opportunities for most Hawai‘i residents. The blood-quantum requirement thus violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment and the Due Process Clause of the Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution,” the complaint alleges.
Green said the administration “stands firmly with the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands and the thousands of Native Hawaiian beneficiaries who rely on this program and its promise for future generations.”
Attorney General Anne Lopez also issued a statement saying the state of Hawaiʻi has both a legal and moral obligation to uphold the commitments embodied in the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act.
“This lawsuit seeks to dismantle a program that has provided opportunities, stability and hope to generations of Native Hawaiian beneficiaries,” said Lopez.
Solicitor General Kalikoʻonālani Fernandes, who has extensive experience handling complex constitutional litigation on behalf of the state, will lead the legal team in defending the state against the challenge.
“We are prepared to vigorously defend the Hawaiian Homes program and the promises it represents,” said Lopez.
Under the Green administration, the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands has accelerated the delivery of homestead opportunities and expanded pathways to homeownership for Native Hawaiian beneficiaries.
In 2025 alone, DHHL offered more than 2,500 lease awards and continues to advance major housing projects, including Hale Mōʻiliʻili on Oʻahu, which will provide 278 affordable rental units for beneficiaries.
“These efforts reflect the administration’s commitment to reducing wait times, strengthening Native Hawaiian communities and fulfilling the promise of the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act,” according to the governor’s announcement.
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Concrete fell from the exterior of an Ala Moana Center parking structure Monday afternoon near the Kapiolani Boulevard exit, damaging a vehicle.
No injuries were reported.
Security blocked an exit lane as debris scattered across the roadway. Ala Moana Center said they are grateful no one was hurt, and the lane will remain closed while structural engineers and construction professionals assess the damage and make repairs.
Copyright 2026 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.
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