Hawaii is eyeing imports of supercooled natural gas as its leaders chart a path to slash carbon emissions and tackle the state’s high electricity costs.
While developing renewable energy remains a priority, Hawaii also needs to reduce its dependence on fuel oil and improve grid reliability, the Hawaii State Energy Office said in a study released this week.
Liquefied natural gas (LNG) could help supply gas to power plants on the island of Oahu, according to the analysis that was prepared at the direction of Hawaii Gov. Josh Green, a Democrat. Oahu — which is home to Honolulu, the state capital — has far higher energy demands than the other Hawaiian islands and also faces land use constraints. The study’s authors wrote that LNG can serve as a “bridge fuel” that doesn’t compromise the state’s long-term decarbonization goals.
Still, Hawaii’s state energy office cautioned that the “narrow but beneficial, path for the inclusion” of LNG in the state’s energy mix “should not allow for backsliding” on Hawaii’s 100 percent renewable portfolio standard (RPS). The policy requires a transition to 100 percent renewable power by 2045, with an interim goal of 40 percent clean electricity by 2030.
