About 90 percent of Hawaii's energy comes from imported oil. No place else in the United States is so critically dependent on imported oil. Unlike the Mainland United States, Hawaii can't turn to neighboring states to make up for any temporary or permanent energy shortages. Unlike any other state, imported oil is the single thread that can completely unravel Hawaii's future.
But Hawaii is blessed with a variety of other energy sources - lots of sunshine, strong winds, fast-growing crops, flowing streams, geothermal heat, waves, and both warm and cold ocean waters. All these resources have the potential to help produce energy and reduce our dependence on imported petroleum.
With the exception of geothermal energy, all of Hawaii's renewable energy resources are derived either directly, or indirectly, from the sun. Solar thermal and photovoltaics use the sun's energy directly. Wind power derives its energy from combined effects of the heating of the earth's surface by the sun, subsequent cooling, and the earth's rotation. Biomass is produced primarily by the process of photosynthesis in which carbohydrate substances are produced by chlorophyll-containing tissues of plants exposed to sunlight.
Hydropower uses the energy contained in flowing water which has been evaporated through the action of sunlight and then precipitated and temporarily stored at higher altitudes. Ocean waves owe their energy to the action of the wind acting on the ocean surface. And, ocean thermal energy conversion uses the difference in temperature between the warm surface water which has been heated by the sun and the colder deep ocean water.
Hawaii is determined to explore the best ways to take advantage of its renewable energy resources. Each renewable resource helps curb global warming by reducing air pollution. Every barrel of oil or ton of coal replaced with these renewable resources will reduce the amount of carbon dioxide put into the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide is considered by many as one of the major contributors to global warming.
The State of Hawaii is actively supporting the development of a mix of renewable energy resources including solar power (thermal and photovoltaics), wind power, biomass, hydropower, ocean thermal energy conversion, wave energy, and geothermal energy.
Information contained in this overview was excerpted from Fact Sheets prepared by the staff of the Energy Division of the State of Hawaii-Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism (DBEDT) and published with funding from the U.S. Department of Energy, Grant No. DE-FG49-94R900023. This information does not necessarily reflect the views of the State of Hawaii, the United States Government, or any agency thereof.
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