State of Hawaii Archives: on Energy & Oil

Andria Tupola: For renewable energy if affordable and environmentally safe

Bob McDermott: I want cheap abundant energy that all Americans can access

Brian Schatz: FactCheck: Yes, 97% of Greenland ice surface melted in 2012

97% would be A LOT of melting, especially for a mass of ice that is, over large stretches, a mile or two thick. We found a NASA web page that reported that in July 2012, "an estimated 97% of the ice sheet surface had thawed." The key word is "surface." The melting the satellites tracked was at and near the surface, often to a depth of no more than an inch. The ice sheet itself never thawed. A NASA scientist said, "Sen. Schatz's statement is very misleading. The correct statement would be that the surface of the Greenland ice sheet experienced some melt." However, the last time that much surface ice temporarily melted was about a century ago. We rate Shatz's statement as Half True.

Brian Schatz: OpEd: Schatz promotes wind turbines requiring huge subsidies

Hawaii residents everywhere dislike wind turbines. Sen. Schatz promotes more taxpayer monies for special interests who are peddling a technology that cannot make it on its own. He is wrong for the following reasons.

I conducted detailed research on cost effective energy solutions for Hawaii, was published this week as "Making the Case for Liquefied Natural Gas." Our research concluded that wind and solar power plants are ineffective; they require multimillion dollar subsidies. On the other hand, homeowner solar photovoltaic panels (Rooftop PV) make sense without any subsidies.

Sen. Schatz should stop bragging about the jobs. Hawaii has fewer than 50 turbines and fewer than 50 people are located here to manage them

Brian Schatz: Work towards passage of carbon fee legislation

"People, governments, companies, and institutions are beginning to take the kinds of actions that give us a legitimate chance to solve this problem. We've got a long way to go, but this was enormously important. This agreement marks a historic step towards protecting our planet from the impacts of climate change. What our two countries are saying with this agreement is that climate change is real, caused by humans, and is solvable.

"For years, naysayers and deniers said that the US shouldn't move forward to regulate carbon pollution until and unless China took action. As of today, that argument is no longer valid.

"While this agreement is an incredibly important foundation and gives people around the world hope, we must not let up. We have to work towards the eventual passage of carbon fee legislation."

Brian Schatz: Use every weapon at our disposal to fight climate change

SCHATZ: I firmly believe that we must use every weapon at our disposal to fight climate change. Moving from dirty energy to clean energy not only makes good environmental sense, but it increasingly makes good economic sense as well. This past year, I helped secure long-term extensions of tax credits for wind and solar that will make those technologies even more competitive in Hawaii and across the country. I also successfully passed legislation that would increase investments in cutting-edge clean energy research that could revolutionize our energy economy. We must, however, do more. I pledge to continue to defend and support President Obama's Clean Power Plan, which is the best tool we currently have for moving away from coal.

Cam Cavasso: No subsidies for wind and solar

Cavasso: Strongly Disagree

Cynthia Thielen: Voted YES to suspend the gasoline price cap

Daniel Akaka: Offered hydrogen and ethanol bills for energy independence

A: We must work towards weaning our dependence on foreign oil. I’ve done this by crafting and offering and passing bills to change this. One is a hydrogen bill that will bring about research and development. Another is a bill for natural gas that’s called methane hydrate. These are efforts to help the future in getting out of oil and being self sufficient. I’ve put in $86 million in projects to convert sugar cane into ethanol.

David Ige: Reduce fossil fuel use; increase renewable energy

Energy Action Plan:
• Direct the Hawai'i State Energy Office to execute policies and programs to develop a clean energy industry in Hawai'i, including training and hiring a strong local workforce.
• Work with key stakeholders to address and overcome the challenges in meeting more aggressively our Hawai'i Clean Energy Initiative goals and targets by modernizing the electrical grid, determining the proper mix of fuels at affordable cost, and working with the counties to reduce fossil fuel use in ground transportation.
• Support state-of-the-art technology that increases distributed generation and power sharing between consumers, and enabling installation of rooftop solar systems.
• Create programs and incentives to increase clean energy production in Hawai'i.

David Ige: Tie rooftop solar into the electric grid

A: Hawaii should develop an electric utility platform that allows it to generate electricity from a portfolio of fuels. I believe it is premature to make a decision on long-term use and importation of LNG at this time until we can determine its impact long- and short-range. In the meantime, we should continue to support energy efficiency/conservation, PV/solar, wind and other renewable technologies to achieve clean energy goals.

Q: What thoughts do you have on improving the electric distribution system (the grid) so more renewables can be in the mix?

A: I will push for more investment in renewable energy and take action to increase the amount of rooftop solar that ratepayers can install. Rooftop PV is currently one of the best renewable energy sources in Hawaii. I'll push for grid technology that allows for increasing amounts of distributed generation and power sharing between consumers.

David Ige: 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.

David Ige: 30% renewable energy by 2020; carbon negative by 2045

David Ige: Capture more carbon that we produce by 2045

Duke Aiona: Fund alternative energy over traditional energy

A: Yes.

Q: Do you support state funding for the development of traditional domestic energy sources (e.g. coal, natural gas, oil)?

A: No.

Q: Do you support providing financial incentives to farms that produce biofuel crops?

A: Yes.

Q: Do you support state funding for improvements to Hawaii's energy infrastructure?

A: Yes.

Q: Do you support enacting environmental regulations aimed at reducing the effects of climate change?

A: Yes.

Aiona adds, "I helped launch the Hawai'i Clean Energy Initiative, which is helping to transform Hawai'i from the most fossil fuel dependent state in the nation into a worldwide leader in clean energy. And as Governor, I'm committed to pursuing a clean energy future free of the dependency of oil. This will not only benefit the environment, it will create jobs and keep money in our economy that is otherwise being spent on foreign sources."

Duke Aiona: Maximize our many renewable energy resources

[OTI note: "Malama Aina" is a Hawaiian phrase that means caring for and honoring the land.]

Ed Case: Investigate the oil companies & reinstate the CAFE standards

A: We can and should investigate the large oil companies for price fixing, price gouging. Those investigations haven't even gone forward because the Bush administration won't let them go forward. The second thing of course is to provide for far more efficient automobiles. The Bush administration and the majority in congress let go the Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards to require higher efficiency in our cars.

Eddie Pirkowski: No subsidies for wind and solar

Pirkowski: Strongly Disagree

Eddie Pirkowski: Explore oil shale, solar, wind, safe nuclear, cheap hydrogen

A: No.

Q: Do you support government funding for the development of renewable energy (e.g. solar, wind, thermal)?

A: Yes:

1. Upgrade the nations electric grid and electric storage capacity with reliability.
2. Cheap Solar, Hydrogen, Natural gas, Nuclear and Algae Fuels for Military, Federal and State Governments, to create lifetime jobs for all
3. Incentives for high mileage natural gas and hydrogen transportation, buses, trucks and cars, drill more oil domestically to create jobs and increase oil supply.
4. More domestic exploration, solar, wind, safe nuclear, cheap hydrogen, natural gas, oil shale, and energy research. )Look for oil and alternative resources in US rather than tap into emergency reserves.

Eddie Pirkowski: Sustainable green development; reduce our carbon footprint

A: Make reponsible decisions on sustainable green development, assembly, manufacturing, reducing emissions and impacting the environment. Regreen all of Hawaii and reduce our carbon footprint.

John Carroll: Humans change climate, but don' regulate greenhouse gases

A: Yes

Q: Do you believe that human activity is contributing to climate change?

A: Yes

Q: Do you support the federal regulation of greenhouse gas emissions?

A: No.

Josh Green: Voted YES to suspend the gasoline price cap

Wikipedia "Gas Cap Law" downloaded 1/7/2022:The Hawaii Gas Cap Law, introduced in 2005, set a price ceiling on wholesale gasoline prices. The price was set weekly by the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission (PUC). On May 5, 2006, [HB3115] suspended the gas cap law. The bill allows Hawaii's governor to reinstate the gas cap law at any time. In force for less than a year, the cap was seen by some as artificially raising consumer prices. The law has not been reinstated.

Legislative outcome: Passed Senate 22-3-0 on May/2/06; passed House 50-0-1 on May/4/06; Rep. Josh Green voted YES; Signed by Governor Linda Lingle on May/5/06

Josh Green: Invest in green economy, create thousands of green jobs

• Lead the nation with the highest efficiency and emissions standards to accelerate the adoption of zero-emission vehicles statewide;
• Restore residential PV tax credits to kick start a new solar energy revolution so every roof in Hawaii can produce its own clean solar energy;
• Set a state facility efficiency goal of cutting energy use by at least 30% before 2030 and increasing the renewable energy generation of all state facilities.
• Invest new state and federal resources in a multi-billion dollar green economy and create thousands of new green jobs;
• Create new incentives for the development and manufacture of next-generation technologies to address the climate crisis right here in Hawaii;
• Complete the plan to build a statewide electric vehicle charging network which will create even more green jobs.

Kirk Caldwell: Strongly support 100% renewable energy by 2045

Kirk Caldwell: Voted YES to suspend the gasoline price cap

Wikipedia "Gas Cap Law" downloaded 1/7/2022:The Hawaii Gas Cap Law, introduced in 2005, set a price ceiling on wholesale gasoline prices. The price was set weekly by the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission (PUC). On May 5, 2006, [HB3115] suspended the gas cap law. The bill allows Hawaii's governor to reinstate the gas cap law at any time. In force for less than a year, the cap was seen by some as artificially raising consumer prices. The law has not been reinstated.

Legislative outcome: Passed Senate 22-3-0 on 5/2/06; passed House 50-0-1 on 5/4/06; Kirk Caldwell co-sponsored and voted YES; Signed by Gov. Linda Lingle on 5/5/06

Linda Lingle: Suspended the gasoline price cap

Wikipedia "Gas Cap Law" downloaded 1/7/2022:The Hawaii Gas Cap Law, introduced in 2005, set a price ceiling on wholesale gasoline prices. The price was set weekly by the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission (PUC). On May 5, 2006, [HB3115] suspended the gas cap law. The bill allows Hawaii's governor to reinstate the gas cap law at any time. In force for less than a year, the cap was seen by some as artificially raising consumer prices. The law has not been reinstated.

Legislative outcome: Passed Senate 22-3-0 on May/2/06; passed House 50-0-1 on May/4/06; Signed by Governor Linda Lingle on May/5/06

Marissa Kerns: Support no-taxpayers-government-bailout for renewable energy

KERNS: I am supporting a smart no-taxpayers-government-bailout for renewable sustainable energy or power sources.

Mark Takai: Invest in alternative energy, including wind and solar

My first priority when discussing energy policy is to put a higher priority on reducing energy use. Conservation efforts can make a difference faster than alternative fuels or expanded drilling programs, and they should be a prominent part of any legislation. We can create American energy independence by rewarding and promoting businesses that seek innovations in renewable energy.

I strongly support clean energy innovations that begin with conservation, energy independence, and the ingenuity of American business before we irreparably harm the environment for our children and grandchildren.

Neil Abercrombie: Liquefied natural gas is a "bridge fuel" to renewables

ABERCROMBIE: I see LNG as a "bridge fuel" to wean ourselves off of imported oil as we pivot to more renewable energy use. One of the most critical challenges of in

Ron Curtis: Manage renewable electric power with smaller community farms

Josh Green: Hydrogen technology has potential to make us energy exporter

We are preparing a historic application to potentially bring in over a billion dollars in federal and private sector investments to our state through a regional Hydrogen Hub. The integration of hydrogen technology into our grid, along with the continued expansion of traditional renewable energy infrastructure, will give utilities, businesses, and local talent an international advantage, with the potential to turn our state into a regional energy exporter.