The Hawaii State Energy Office (HSEO) and Hawaiian Electric, each commissioned their own unique assessments on the future of energy use in Hawaii. Each addresses the common problem that the assumptions made in 2008 to calculate the amount of renewable energy needed to reach its 100% clean fuel goals by 2045 are no longer valid.

Gasification technology is being used to generate sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) from trash. SAF is a lower-carbon footprint biofuel that can help reduce the environmental impact of aviation. This Wall Street Journal video explains the opportunity.

Image by John McArthur

…for solutions to be truly sustainable, we must focus on their full life-cycle impact — their global carbon emission and environmental impact, based on what’s required to produce, transport, use, recycle and dispose of them. Doing this allows us to understand the “cradle to cradle” costs and dependencies of a solution and helps us deliver those with the lowest environmental costs. It will also ensure that our solutions can be sustained into the distant future.

The energy crisis has been exacerbated by the war in Ukraine, but our energy challenge predates this geopolitical conflict. The war has highlighted the frailty of the energy system and the nature of our fossil fuel dependence on almost everything - electricity, transportation, industry, heating, and food. This is especially being felt in Europe, where prices are high, and there is a scramble to secure energy for the coming winter. Importantly, it spotlights the need to accelerate the development of renewable energy solutions, particularly those with low lifecycle carbon (not reliant on fossil fuels) and those that address needs that cannot be electrified.

Richard Ha, the founder of Sustainable Energy Hawaii, has reached the end of his term as Chairman of the Board of Directors. Richard will continue as an Ex-Officio member of our board and will join our Advisory Council going forward.

Geothermal energy is an incredible resource that is being leveraged by many across the globe for heating, cooling, and electricity generation. It also holds hope for a planet that is so energy-dependent and desperately needs to cut emissions from burning fossil fuels.
This TED Talk explains geothermal energy's potential and how the fossil fuel industry might leverage its technical proficiency to harvest this energy.