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.
Join our free newsletter for cool news and actionable info that makes it easy to help yourself while helping the planet.
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – One of the world’s premier adaptive surfing events is getting underway in Waikiki.
AccesSurf Hawaii is hosting the 2026 Hawaii Adaptive Surfing Championships this week, with competition beginning Tuesday, May 5, and running through Friday, May 8, at Queen’s Surf Break.
Now in its 18th year, the championships are part of the Adaptive Surfing Professionals World Tour and bring together more than 90 adaptive surfers from around the world competing across multiple divisions.
Organizers said the championships highlight not only elite competition, but also community, culture and inclusion.
“The Hawaii Adaptive Surfing Championships is a powerful gathering of athletes, community and purpose,” said AccesSurf Executive Director Zoe Lewis. “We are proud to host this in Waikiki, where adaptive surfers can compete at an elite level while also experiencing the culture, community and spirit of Hawaii.”
Events began Monday with an opening ceremony at the Duke Kahanamoku Statue, kicking off a week of competition and activities.
In addition to the surf competition, the week includes special events such as the Hawaiʻi premiere of The Incredible Paulk on May 6 and a community pau hana gathering on May 7.
Surf competition runs daily from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. and will also be streamed live online.
The public is invited to attend and support the athletes, with the week wrapping up Friday with an awards ceremony.
Copyright 2026 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.
The 2026 Hawaii high school baseball playoffs begin on May 6th with the opening round in the Division I bracket, with the Division II bracket starting May 7th.
High School On SI has brackets for every classification and division in the Hawaii high school baseball playoffs.
The 2026 HHSAA state championship games will be on May 9th.
2026 Hawaii High School Baseball Division I Playoff Bracket, Schedule, Scores (HHSAA) – May 4, 2026
Matchups are as follows:
Pearl City vs. Moanalua
Pac-Five vs. Kaiser
King Kekaulike vs. Hilo
Kamehameha Hawai’i vs. Kailua
2026 Hawaii High School Baseball Division II Playoff Bracket, Schedule, Scores (HHSAA) – May 4, 2026
Matchups are as follows:
Waipahu vs. Hawaii Prep
Seabury Hall vs. Damien
Honoka’a vs. Castle
Kauai vs. Kapolei
More Coverage from High School On SI
Follow
Forecast for Big Island Windward and Southeast
| Shores | Tonight | Monday | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Surf | Surf | |||
| PM | AM | AM | PM | |
| North Facing | 1-3 | 1-3 | 1-3 | 1-3 |
| East Facing | 4-6 | 4-6 | 4-6 | 3-5 |
| South Facing | 3-5 | 3-5 | 3-5 | 2-4 |
| Weather | Mostly cloudy. Occasional showers. | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low Temperature | In the upper 60s. | ||||||
| Winds | North winds 5 to 10 mph. | ||||||
|
|||||||
| Weather | Partly sunny. Scattered showers. | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High Temperature | Around 80. | |||||
| Winds | Northeast winds 5 to 10 mph. | |||||
|
||||||
| Sunrise | 5:49 AM HST. | |||||
| Sunset | 6:45 PM HST. | |||||
Forecast for Big Island Leeward
| Shores | Tonight | Monday | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Surf | Surf | |||
| PM | AM | AM | PM | |
| West Facing | 2-4 | 2-4 | 2-4 | 1-3 |
| South Facing | 3-5 | 3-5 | 3-5 | 2-4 |
| Weather | Mostly cloudy until 12 AM, then partly cloudy. Scattered showers. |
||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low Temperature | In the lower 70s. | ||||||||||
| Winds | Southwest winds around 5 mph, becoming east in the evening, then becoming light and variable after midnight. |
||||||||||
|
|||||||||||
| Weather | Mostly sunny. Isolated showers. | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High Temperature | In the mid 80s. | |||||||
| Winds | Southwest winds around 5 mph. | |||||||
|
||||||||
| Sunrise | 5:53 AM HST. | |||||||
| Sunset | 6:49 PM HST. | |||||||
The current small northwest swell will decline tonight. A moderate northwest swell will build on Monday and produce surf above seasonal average during the peak Monday night and early Tuesday. This swell will slowly decline late Tuesday and Wednesday. A larger northwest swell could produce surf near the High Surf Advisory level Thursday, then lower Friday into next weekend.
A south-southwest swell will produce surf around seasonal average tonight and will gradually decrease Monday and Tuesday, with mainly small background surf along south facing shores through the rest of the week.
Trade wind swell will slowly lower below seasonal average on Monday and will remain small through the remainder of the week.
NORTH EAST
am pm
Surf: Minimal (ankle high or less) surf.
Conditions: Semi choppy with ESE winds 5-10mph in the morning increasing to 10-15mph in the afternoon.
NORTH WEST
am pm
Surf: Minimal (ankle high or less) surf.
Conditions: Clean in the morning with ESE winds less than 5mph. Bumpy/semi bumpy conditions for the afternoon with the winds shifting W 5-10mph.
WEST
am pm
Surf: Minimal (ankle high or less) surf.
Conditions: Light sideshore texture in the morning with NNW winds 5-10mph. Bumpy/semi bumpy conditions for the afternoon with the winds shifting to the WNW.
SOUTH EAST
am pm
Surf: Minimal (ankle high or less) surf.
Conditions: Sideshore texture/chop with NE winds 10-15mph.
Data Courtesy of NOAA.gov and SwellInfo.com
-
New York1 hour agoDaniel Radcliffe, John Lithgow and Lesley Manville Pick Up Tony Nominations
-
Detroit, MI2 hours agoA New Day for Detroit’s Dakota Inn – Hour Detroit Magazine
-
San Francisco, CA2 hours agoContributor: May we never grow inured to homelessness
-
Dallas, TX2 hours agoOur Least Favorite Dallas Cowboys 2026 NFL Draft Pick
-
Miami, FL2 hours agoPhotographer Brings Measuring Tape to Miami GP to Get Cameras Past Security
-
Boston, MA2 hours agoWorld Cup 2026 stadium guides: Welcome to Boston Stadium, which… isn’t really in Boston at all
-
Denver, CO3 hours agoDenver welcomes national Democrats for 2028 convention site visit, starting with a trip on the A-Line
-
Seattle, WA3 hours agoRitchie's homecoming spoiled with 5-run 6th inning