David Ige in 2017 Governor's State of the State speeches

On Energy & Oil: 100% of our electricity from renewable sources by 2045

The mandate has stimulated demand for clean tech innovations, many of them running through our Hawaii Energy Excelerator. Together, Oahu, Maui and Hawaii Island, currently obtains 25 percent of our electricity from renewable sources. On Kauai the figure is 40 percent. With 65 renewable energy projects across the state, we are on schedule to meet our 2020 target for increasing renewable energy use. Earlier this month, the state's largest operating solar facility in Waianae successfully placed 28 megawatts into commercial operation. On Kauai, the nation's first closed-loop, bio-mass to electricity plant began operations near Koloa, fueled by albizia and eucalyptus trees.

On Free Trade: Hawaii dominated world trade via entrepreneurial innovation

For those old enough to have worked summers in the cannery as teens, you may remember, like I do, the Ginaca machines that could peel and core a pineapple in seconds. That technology allowed Hawaii to completely dominate global markets and transformed the industry. We did not wait for someone to show us how to grow and harvest sugar and pineapple better. We did it ourselves by being innovative and entrepreneurial. As we know, global competition eventually contributed to both of their demise [so Hawaii switched to tourism]