Hawaii
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.
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.
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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HONOLULU (Hawaii News Now)- Pageants are about more than beauty for 2026 Miss Hawaii Teen USA Olivia Tom, who is turning her title into a platform for impaired driving awareness.
Tom was crowned in May and joined HNN’s Sunrise Weekends to talk about her partnership with Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) Hawaii and Drive with Aloha, along with her cause to end impaired driving.
She graduated this year from H.P. Baldwin High School in Wailuku, Maui, and said her experience on the pageant stage has given her a platform to speak out on issues that matter to her community.
“I think it’s so important because it could happen to you… one moment can affect so many,” Tom said.
A standout student, Tom served as valedictorian and will attend the University of Hawaii at Manoa this fall with a focus in business.
She said the issue is personal after a loved one was injured in an impaired driving incident during her senior year of high school.
“It literally made me feel that one moment, one experience, can change so many people’s lives, and it can affect so many,” Tom said.
Tom encourages others to think carefully before getting into a vehicle and to be aware of their surroundings and the people they are with.
“Before you get in the car, think about who you’re getting in the car with,” she said.
Tom will also serve as emcee for the MADD Hawaii Law Enforcement Recognition event on Thursday, June 25.
The event honors law enforcement officers across the state for their efforts to prevent impaired driving and keep Hawaiʻi roads safe.
To follow her journey, visit @missmauiteenusa on Instagram.
Copyright 2026 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Honolulu police are investigating an shooting near Ala Moana that left one person critically injured.
Police say it happened around 4:53 a.m. near the intersection of Keeaumoku Street and Kapiolani Boulevard.
Honolulu EMS said crews treated a 23-year-old man with an apparent gunshot wound and transported him to an emergency room in critical condition.
No additional details were immediately available.
The investigation is ongoing.
Copyright 2026 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.
LIHUE — A number of road-related projects are on tap in the days ahead with grass cutting, tree trimming and guardrail repair making up the bulk of the work, the Hawaii Department of Transportation said in an update on Friday.
Lane closure schedules may change at any time without further notice. All projects are weather permitting. A map of lane closures can be found here, https://hidot.hawaii.gov/highways/roadwork/
The following is a list of projects scheduled for the workweek ending Friday. All work is weather permitting.
Kipu to Omao
Single lane closure on Kaumualii Highway (Route 50), possible in either direction, between mile post 2.9 to 8.5 in the vicinity of Kipu Road and Maha Road, on Sunday, June 14 to Friday, June 19 from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. for installing rumble strips on the edges and striping. Alternating traffic will be routed through the open lane.
Omao to Kalaheo
Single lane closure on Kaumualii Highway (Route 50), possible in either direction, between mile post 8 to 13, on Monday, June 15 to Friday, June 19 from 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. for landscape maintenance.
Omao to Lawai
Single lane closure on Kaumualii Highway (Route 50), possible in either direction, between mile post 9 to 9.6 in the vicinity of Upa Road and Piko Road, on Monday, June 15 to Friday, June 19 from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. for reconstruction of weakened pavement.
Makaweli to Pakala
Single lane closure on Kaumualii Highway (Route 50), possible in either direction, between mile post 20.6 to 21 in the vicinity of Private Road, on Wednesday, June 17 from 9 p.m. to 12 p.m. for KIUC to do utility line work. Alternating traffic will be routed through the open lane.
Nawiliwili
Single lane closure on Rice Street (Route 51), possible in either direction, near mile post 0.8 in the vicinity of Lala Road and Kapule Highway, on Monday, June 15 to and Friday, June 19 from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. for installing pavement striping and markers on the roadway. Alternating traffic will be routed through the open lane.
Lihue
Center lane closure on Kuhio Highway (Route 56) in both directions, between mile post 0.1 to 0.3, in the vicinity of Hardy Street and Poinciana Street nightly on Sunday, June 14 to Friday, June 19 from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. for waterline replacement. No left turns will be allowed through the work area. Details: Details: https://bit.ly/48k1X3p
Roving single lane closure on Kuhio Highway (Route 56), possible in either direction, between mile post 4 to 12, in the vicinity of Kauai Beach Road, on Tuesday, June 16 to Thursday, June 18 from 1 a.m. to 6:30 a.m. for herbicide application on guardrails, signs and mile marker poles.
Anahola
Single lane closure on Kuhio Highway (Route 56), possible in either direction, between mile post 13 to 14, in the vicinity of Kukuihale Road and Aliomanu Road, on Monday, June 15 to Friday 19 from 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. for landscape maintenance.
Kalihiwai to Princeville
Single lane closure on Kuhio Highway (Route 56), possible in either direction, between mile post 24.2 to 28.1, in the vicinity of Kahiliholo Road to Emmalani Drive, Monday, June 15 to Friday, June 19 from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. for striping.
Hanalei
Single lane closure on Kuhio Highway (Route 560), in the westbound direction, between mile post 2.6 to 2.8, in the vicinity of Aku Road and Malolo Road, on Sunday, June 14 to Friday, June 19 from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. for paving work. Traffic will be detoured to Weke Road via Aku Road and Malolo Road.
Waikoko
Single lane closure on Kuhio Highway (Route 560), in the westbound direction, between mile post 4.6 to 4.8, in the vicinity of Waikoko Bridge and Lumahai Beach, on Monday, June 15 to Friday, June 19 from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. for striping, planting, hydroseeding, and anchoring mesh. Alternating traffic will be routed through the open lane.
Kokee
Full closure of Waimea Canyon Drive (Route 550), between mile post 0.4 to 6.7, in the vicinity of Maule Road and Kokee Road, on Wednesday, June 17 to Friday, June 19 from 8 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. for full depth road reconstruction. Details: https://bit.ly/4eD9kX7
Single lane closure of Waimea Canyon Drive (Route 550), possible in either direction, between mile post 3 to 6, on Monday, June 15 to Friday, June 19 from 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. for landscape maintenance.
Pua Loke
Single lane closure on Nawiliwili Road (Route 58) in the eastbound direction between mile post 1.8 to 1.9 in the vicinity of Haleko Road and Kukui Grove Street on, Monday, June 15 to Friday, June 19 from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. for sewer line installation.
Wailua Homesteads
Roving lane closure of Kuamoo Road (Route 580), possible in either direction between mile post 3 to 3.5, in the vicinity of Pokukala Street and Paako Street on Monday, June 15 to Tuesday, June 16 from 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. for landscape maintenance.
Wailua to Kapaa
Single lane closure of Kapaa Bypass Road (Route 5600), between mile post 0.8 to 3, in the vicinity of Kuhio Highway (Wailua) to Olohena Road (Kapaa) on Sunday, June 14 to Friday, June 19 from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. for marking and striping. Details: https://bit.ly/4vWH8Fg
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