It’s happening – step by step, little by little. Hawaii is inching toward energy independence, a mandatory journey this generation is undertaking to benefit future generations.
The Navy dedicated a 107-kilowatt photovoltaic system at one of its housing development’s yesterday, and the Lingle Administration appropriately used the occasion to tout the advancement of yet another renewable energy project in the state. You can watch a video of the Governor’s remarks.
As both the Governor and the Advertiser’s story note, the U.S. military is the largest electricity customer in the state. The military is a pacesetter in getting off oil in Hawaii; its housing projects are the only ones with solar water heating uniformly installed on each new unit.
Is OTEC Next?
Two companies pushing ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC) have been in Honolulu within the past week; at least one is still here. They undoubtedly are calling on Hawaiian Electric Company and the military, but beyond that, we know nothing about possible progress in fashioning a deal to build that elusive first plant to test OTEC on a small scale in Hawaii’s tropical waters.
It’s a big shoe poised to fall – something we've anticipated for a long time.
1 comment:
It’s great to see all branches of military in the islands taking the lead in new technologies surrounding energy-efficiency, green build and more. The Army broke ground on its USGBC LEED for Neighborhood Development Pilot project at Fort Shafter this morning.
http://www.armyhawaiifamilyhousing.com/news_events/documents/LEEDNDGroundbreaking_JUNE2008_FINAL_HIRelease.pdf
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