Wind Turbines Require Scrutiny Before Hawaiʻi Spends Massive Amount of Funds

Wind Turbines Require Scrutiny Before Hawaiʻi Spends Massive Amount of Funds

Much is said and written about the future of energy for Hawaiʻi.
Much is said and written about the future of energy for Hawaiʻi. In fact, The New York Times reported on May 3 that electricity prices are up nearly 15 percent in Hawaiʻi. Electricity for homes is up 23 percent in Hawaiʻi from January 2021 to January 2022, the highest in the nation.
In response to such alarming news and despite its reliability for the foreseeable future, certain groups are against the benefits of oil and natural gas in a knee-jerk fashion.
Every source of energy must be scrutinized as it is clear that all sources have costs beyond simple prices.
We know so much about oil and natural gas. Fossil fuels are blamed in large part for affecting climate change and air pollution. Both are perhaps finite sources of energy, although in recent years, exploration and technology have proven capable of extracting far more product than previously thought to exist.

We also know that of America’s energy sources, oil and gas provide a full 60 percent of the nation’s needs. It is estimated that as much as 77 percent of Hawaiʻi’s energy comes from oil and coal. It simply does not make practical sense to abruptly abandon this source of energy without an obvious successor that makes other sources unnecessary.

We should examine all sources and ensure that they are proven to meet high standards of availability, safety, and cost-effectiveness before adopting or rejecting the technology.

What about wind power? Seen by some as the panacea, wind power may indeed have a place in the future of Hawaiʻi, but it needs to prove that it is feasible, produces large quantities of sustained, reliable energy, and that its disadvantages are exceeded by its advantages. As of now, as described in that same New York Times article, it’s clear that supply chain problems are pushing wind turbines up in price. Some advantages of wind for Hawaiʻi include cleanliness of the source, renewability, and availability of space off the coast for offshore wind farms.

Wind turbines also have been seen to damage wildlife, as many birds have been struck by the giant turbines. Additionally, the turbines are extremely loud. Their volume could be mitigated by installing them a significant distance offshore, but of course that creates another hazard for shipping, possible effects on wildlife there, and the costs involved in installing and maintaining them.
Costs for setup are also well-known and expensive. Some of the offset for costs are similar to that of electric cars — from U.S. government subsidies. Clearly, in the future, any source of energy should stand on its own to provide its worthiness.

Further, storage issues must be resolved in Hawaiʻi. The evolving technologies, such as hybrid systems that combine batteries paired with wind or solar systems, may prove to be a sufficient answer, but its improvement needs to continue.

Today, to produce significant energy from turbines either on or offshore, has a breakeven point of 10 or more years over initial and maintenance costs. Does this sound like a fully-developed and reliable source of cost-efficient energy? It may be promising for Hawaiʻi in the long run, but now is not the time to abandon other energy sources.
Some basic facts should guide our discussions. Essentially, any large-scale production of energy from any known source has advantages and disadvantages. Whether it’s the abundant (and much cleaner than in past decades in America) oil and gas, the emerging wind, solar, nuclear, hydropower or hydrogen, etc., there is not a single purely clean, cheap, or inexhaustible source of energy.
The market here in Hawaiʻi, just as it is throughout the nation, is a great place for the long-term adoption of new technologies to one day replace oil and gas as the primary source of energy. That day has not come. The government, especially at the federal level, but also importantly at the state level, cannot simply legislate or publish executive orders that preclude or mandate sources of energy without assessing the effects.
Common sense dictates that we put funding into what works for Hawaiʻi, and at some point, decide to abandon that which is not in our best interest.
ALOHA,
Gary Cordery is a candidate for Governor of Hawaii.

Stay updated with Policies like this

Share this story

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Email
WhatsApp
Telegram

donate/support

Hawai’i needs a governor who is willing to fight for the people: someone who honors others first, pursues the truth, and protects the liberty of all.

$25
$50
$100
$250
$500
$1000
$6000
other amount
Radio/TV Ad Donation
Contributions by a person to a candidate committee during an election period are limited to $6,000 to a candidate seeking a 4-year, statewide office.

Vote for Gary Cordery for Governor 2022

Gary Cordery is a servant leader.  Hawai’i needs a governor who is willing to fight for the people: someone who honors others first, pursues the truth, and protects the liberty of all.

how can i volunteer?

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *