Moving Hawaii From Energy Disaster to Energy Miracle

[kristopher]

... You're in Hawaii and you're high on the Aloha spirit.

Now open up your utility bill and cue Alfred Hitchcock Psycho shower noises. Hawaii has the nation's highest electricity prices. (The statewide average is in the $0.36 per kilowatt-hour range according to Ted Peck, Hawaii's former State Energy Administrator.)

Worse yet, realize that 75 percent of the island's electrical power comes from oil that's imported from non-U.S. sources and poses a oil spill risk that would destroy the island's ecosystem and economy in one not-so-unimaginable disaster. The island is 90 percent dependent on fossil fuels and 7.5 percent of the islands' $63 billion GDP is spent on fuel and 10 percent is spent on food.

I met with a team that wants to do something about that. Not only that -- they want to transform Hawaii from the most fossil fuel-dependent state in the nation into a model of renewable generation, and eventually, a net exporter of renewable fuels.

Islands are model laboratories for biologists, and they can also serve as testbeds for new policies, new technologies and new ways of thinking. Moving, say, the California utility behemoth with its 47,350 megawatts of peak load and overlapping regulatory bodies is like moving a mountain. But the entire island chain of Hawaii has just 2,400 megawatts of generating capacity with 95 percent of the population served by a single utility. It's feasible that a team of entrepreneurs and innovators could actually make some real changes....

http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/Moving-Hawaii-From-Energy-Nightmare-to-as-Energy-Miracle

[scubadude]

1. Gee, why don't they try that on Guam?

We are 1 island, with a population of 170,000. Seems like Guam would be the perfect test grounds. We make 99.99% of our energy from imported oil. Our cent per kilowatt hour is almost exactly the same as Hawaii's, plus it is and has increased about 40% this year alone!!! We are desperate!

[kristopher]

2. It sounds like you personally might be in a position to become a renewable developer.

"Be the change you want to see" and all that.

Seriously, why not get involved? Here is an assessment from the National Renewable Energy Lab of Guam's renewable energy resources and a general overview of what's involved,

http://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy11osti/50580.pdf

Don't forget this is a government document, sometimes entrepreneurs might see opportunities that they miss.

[RC]

7. Does Guam have any volcanoes within reach?

Didn't think so. Hawaii does and the Big Island could supply all the power the chain needs.

[kristopher]

11. Centralized generation is stupid with today's technologies.

Next thing you know you'll be kicking it up a notch and endorsing the ultimate folly in centralized generation - nuclear.

[ThomWV]

3. You mean to tell me they aren't using geothermal energy for power production there

They should have enough heat just in the lava on the surface of that island to provide it with power until the oceans dry up. Harness it.

[RC]

8. And that is REAL geothermal and not some marketing BS to make

ground source heat pump sound more high tech so they can charge more.

[Marrah_G]

9. I was going to ask the same thing....

[formercia]

4. I think this is just another Privatization scheme.

If it's such a great idea, the Private Market should invest in Geothermal on it's own and compete against the Public Utility that uses Oil. Why spend money to buy a Public Asset that has no long-term value, except to maintain a captive Market.

[kristopher]

5. Direct competition probably isn't allowed

[msongs]

6. another corporate hijacking = remove all competition and screw the customers nt

[kristopher]

10. Not if they move to renewables.

Distributed renewable energy sources provide a far easier entry for competition than centralized thermal sources like oil, coal and nuclear.

For example, if they need 2,400,000 kilowatts of generation then with renewables they have up to 2,400,00 points of energy for competition from individuals installing solar.