Earth Equity News

Hawaii Tries Green Tools in Remaking Grid. By Felicity Barringer, NYTimes, September 15, 2009. "With the most diverse array of alternative energy potential of any state in the nation, Hawaii has set out to become a living laboratory for the rest of the country, hoping it can slash its dependence on fossil fuels... Each of the state's six electric grids belongs to its own island and is unconnected to the others. And according to state figures, Hawaii still relies on imported oil to generate 77% of its electricity, a level of dependency unique in the United States. Coal-fired power provides 14%, and 9% comes from renewable sources like the wind or the sun. Hawaii's governor, Linda Lingle, a Republican, has resolved to throw off the yoke of oil dependence and harness the state's potential. Under an agreement [PDF, 6 pp] reached last year with the federal government and the dominant local utility, the Hawaiian Electric Company, Hawaii plans to generate 40% of its power from renewable sources by 2030. The state's six grids will be connected by cables, and planners hope that conservation steps like reducing the air-conditioning load at high-rise hotels will cut Hawaii's energy consumption by nearly a third."