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Hawaii recently closed its sole coal power plant, but n a new issue threatens its grid: 'This is a huge policy error'

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Hawaii recently closed its sole coal power plant, but n a new issue threatens its grid: 'This is a huge policy error'


In September 2022, Hawaii closed its only coal power plant, taking a positive step toward a 2045 goal to produce only non-polluting electricity.

After closing the plant on Oahu — Hawaii’s third largest island — the islands still needed an effective power source, and the state turned to rooftop solar generation as the answer.

A program from utility firm Hawaiian Electric paid households to add batteries to their solar array, which would allow them to send electricity to the grid at night for a fee. As Canary Media reported, the program saw immediate rewards, with enrollments passing 40 megawatts by December 2023 and reliance on the grid dropping by 15 to 17 megawatts a day.

According to Lani Shinsato, co-director for customer energy resources for Hawaiian Electric, those numbers should increase further when all those who have signed up for the scheme get their systems running.

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But a change in tact from Hawaii’s Public Utilities Commission could put that significant progress in jeopardy, with a successor to the successful Battery Bonus scheme announced, known as Bring Your Own Device, which many expect won’t be nearly as beneficial for residents.

The new initiative is a complicated process, and as Canary Media pointed out, confusion about BYOD and lower incentives compared to Battery Bonus may slow the level of take-up that was already proving so beneficial to Hawaii’s clean energy future. 

“This is a huge policy error — it’s reversing years of progress that we’ve been making,” Rocky Mould, executive director of the Hawaii Solar Energy Association, told the publication. 

According to Hawaiian Electric, renewables provided 31.8% of electricity generation in 2022, with customer-sited, grid-connected renewable solar and wind making up 46.6% of the total renewable energy production. 

In the same year, 52.1%, 63%, and 64.4% of Hawaiian Electric’s electricity generation came from dirty oil on Oahu, Hawaii Island, and Maui County, respectively. That electricity would have produced planet-warming pollution that contributes to global heating. 

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The need to move away from polluting energy sources was put into starker focus following the devastating wildfire that ripped through Hawaii’s Maui Island and Big Island in August 2023. 

While the cause hasn’t been officially determined, the hot, dry, and windy conditions in the area in the days prior would have been perfect for the start of a wildfire, so reducing temperatures is undoubtedly even more of a priority for the state’s lawmakers.

But beneficial and effective renewable generation is key to achieving this, and solar experts are calling on a return to the Battery Bonus scheme that proved so advantageous for all. 

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Hawaii Island asks for the public’s assistance finding elderly woman, Jacquelyn Glenn

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Hawaii Island asks for the public’s assistance finding elderly woman, Jacquelyn Glenn


HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Hawaii Island police are renewing their request for the public’s assistance in locating 82-year-old Jacquelyn Glenn of Kailua-Kona, who was reported missing by her family.

Police said she is considered endangered due to her age.

Glenn was last seen on Friday, Dec. 5, around 6:37 a.m., on the 75-200 block of Nani Kailua Dr. in Kailua-Kona.

She was wearing a peach-colored shirt, blue denim jeans, and black tennis shoes. She reportedly mentioned going to Hilo with friends, but did not say when she planned to return.

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She is described as 5′6″, 125 Ibs, with curly grey hair and brown eyes.

Police ask anyone with information on the whereabouts of Jacquelyn Glenn to call the Hawaii Police Department’s non-emergency line at (808) 935-3311.



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Hawaii gets nearly $190 million for rural health care | Honolulu Star-Advertiser

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Hawaii gets nearly 0 million for rural health care | Honolulu Star-Advertiser




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Hawaiian announces $600 million airport, wide-body upgrades | Honolulu Star-Advertiser

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Hawaiian announces 0 million airport, wide-body upgrades | Honolulu Star-Advertiser


COURTESY HAWAIIAN AIRLINES

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Hawaiian Airlines today announced an investment of more than $600 million over five years to improve airport passenger areas across the state and interior upgrades to widebody aircraft.

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Hawaiian Airlines CEO Diana Birkett Rakow told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser ahead of today’s announcement at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport that other improvements will include better apps, a better website that will make it easier for passengers to change flights, among other things that also include better integration with Alaska Airlines, which acquired Hawaiian in 2024, making it a subsidiary of Alaska Air Group.

“We have pushed a lot of change through the system for the last couple of months,” Rakow said. “We’re working on integrating our ticketing systems because right now we’re on two separate ticketing systems that don’t talk to each other.”

After late April, she said, booking on the shared Alaska Air and Hawaiian Air ticketing system “will be much more seamless.”

In announcing the renovations and changes, Hawaiian pledged “a significantly smoother guest experience … once Hawaiian Airlines and Alaska Airlines share the same passenger service system and Hawaiian Airlines joins the oneworld alliance, both scheduled for late April.”

Right now, Rakow acknowledged, “unfortunately there is some friction.”

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“There’s been so many changes and all of that friction is really painful,” she said. “We are committed to making sure we are addressing the issues. … We are certainly not perfect, but we are committed to working together. … Really, after April, it is going to improve significantly.”

Each island airport also will see renovated lobbies and gates designed to increase comfort, provide better seating and amenities such as improved power charging.

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Daniel K. Inouye International also will get a new 10,600-square-foot lounge at the entrance of the Mauka Concourse in Terminal 1.

And starting in 2028, Hawaiian’s wide-body Airbus A330s will get new seats, carpets, lighting, business class suites, a Bluetooth-enabled in-flight entertainment system with high-definition screens and free Starlink Wi-Fi.

Gov. Josh Green said in a statement ahead of today’s announcement that, “Hawaiian Airlines’ investment is exactly the kind of long-term commitment Hawaiʻi needs. Modern, welcoming airports improve the experience for residents and visitors alike, strengthen our economy and keep Hawaiʻi competitive as a global destination. We appreciate Hawaiian Airlines’ partnership in advancing workforce development, regenerative tourism, clean energy, and community programs that reflect the values of our islands.”

The New Year began with a .75% increase in Hawaii’s Transient Accommodations Tax that will help the state fight climate change.

Rakow said that Hawaiian is working to better inform inbound passengers about how to respect Hawaii’s culture and environment.

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Hawaiian said it will continue to support “programs promoting regenerative tourism, culture and conservation.”

The airline also said it will fund grants to nonprofit organizations “promoting cultural programs, environmental preservation, and perpetuation of native Hawaiian art and language through the Alaska Airlines | Hawaiian Airlines Foundation.”




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