Thursday, May 29, 2008

Hydrogen Power Start-Up Firm Gets State Backing

• Afternooon update: Check out the Raising Islands blog for why the Brookings Institution's report on energy use in Honolulu may be so flawed as to be meaningless and how the hometown newspapers whiffed in their coverage.

This blog’s title has an “s” in it because getting off oil in Hawaii will require more than one renewable energy option. Ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC) will have a long-term role, but other options are available now, including wind and solar power.

Governor Linda Lingle presumably will sign legislation into law mandating solar water heaters on new homes beginning in 2010.  The intent is to cut each new home’s electricity demand here in “the Saudi Arabia of Sun.” Check out aerial photographs (on a Sierra Club website) of relatively recent home developments on Oahu for what happened without a mandate.

Abundant Hydrogen

Earlier this week, the Governor signed a bond financing bill that will allow a small Hawaii firm to sell tax-exempt special purpose revenue bonds. A Honolulu Advertiser story today covers the intent and the progress of h2 Technologies Inc. to advance hydrogen as yet another option to reduce the state's dependence on fossil fuel.

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