Thinking Through Energy Needs for Hawaiʻi
Now is the time to look for changes in the way we address energy.
Throughout the state of Hawaiʻi and the nation, we are living through a period of time when concerns about sources of energy are affecting our daily lives.
Every time we fill our cars with gas, we are quickly reminded of this very real issue.
Now is the time to look for changes in the way we address energy.
There is no single remedy to energy needs, and most often, not even good ideas can come to fruition immediately. Energy, for example, comes from multiple sources, and while today 60 percent of our energy comes from oil and gas, we know that we must keep improving ways to reduce the effects of the use of fossil fuels. In the long-term, we likely will find and implement ways to expand the viability of cleaner sources.
Moving forward, other forms of energy have to prove themselves to be plentiful, feasible, and long-term. The market will grow for alternatives as availability and technology prove themselves. It is self-defeating to simply have ideas and decide to eliminate current proven technologies before other sources are ready for mass consumption.
It is well-known that government agencies are rarely the sole source of the necessary innovation for solving problems, and energy is no exception. However, reasonable decisions on state (and federal) legislation and government rules and regulations can make a difference, especially when combined by the know-how of the private sector.
One of our requirements is to look for new ways to think about energy reliance without being overwhelmed by ideological arguments.
Hawaiʻi needs not just a state chief energy officer, but needs to develop a full energy department as we have a long list of other issue areas. Energy cannot be shuffled to a secondary status.
Chief among the causes the new director could take up is the examination of the feasibility and long-term focus of the state on alternative fuel sources while maintaining delivery of proven current sources. This level-headed approach allows our leaders to responsibly incorporate sources such as solar, geothermal, and hydrogen power — obviously this includes sources that have as of yet not been included as major possibilities for alternative sources of energy.
Some of the sources for the right energy balance for Hawaiʻi may not match exactly what is the broader right answer for the rest of the nation.
We must be bold and move quickly to test, evaluate, and implement a new strategy and it will take a department-level agency head, answering regularly to the governor.
ALOHA,
Gary Cordery is a candidate for Governor of Hawaiʻi.
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