The Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative is determined to reach its goal of 100% clean energy by 2045. To help the state reach this ambitious target, the Department of Energy's Energy Transitions Initiative (ETI) has been collaborating with technical experts from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to provide training to Public Utilities Commission (PUC) staff. The training covers a range of topics, such as energy modeling, future energy scenarios, and the social costs of each scenario. NREL also developed a web interface for simplified distribution modeling, allowing participants to explore the effects of changing variables. This web interface allows them to go in and modify two or three things to see how placing solar photovoltaic systems on the power supply could alter the voltage profile at different points.
In addition to Hawaii, ETI works with other islands to create a long-term energy vision and successfully implement energy efficiency and renewable energy solutions. Island areas have some of the most difficult technical challenges in terms of actually achieving these clean energy goals. The Department of Energy and NREL are working together to solve these complex issues, learning lessons along the way. Some of these lessons learned are available in the ETI Islands Strategy Book, an action-oriented guide that provides a framework that any community can use to successfully initiate, plan, and complete a transition to a clean energy system. Hawaii has been making great strides in deploying renewable energy technology at a faster rate than most other utility systems.
In 2018, Governor David Ige signed House Bill 623 establishing a renewable portfolio standard (RPS) for 100 percent of net electricity sales by 2045. Compliance with the standard will require a balance of all renewable energy generation options, far beyond rooftop solar installations with meters under the framework of the net energy metering program. The U. S. island state of Hawaii is demonstrating to other U. states and island communities around the world that sustainable energy can be a reality.
The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG 7) focuses on clean and affordable energy and is committed to “substantially” increasing the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix. Kauai is one of the seven inhabited islands in the northwest of the Hawaiian archipelago, where energy generation is not only an aspiration but also a necessity. Over the course of 30 years to achieve this goal, some would say that the island grid system will become a giant renewable energy laboratory, testing the limits of what can be reasonably and practically achieved with distributed generation. Hawaii's commitment to achieving 100% clean energy by 2045 is an inspiring example for other states and island communities around the world. With ETI's proven framework and resources, technical tools, and lessons learned from Hawaii's experience, any community can successfully initiate, plan, and complete a transition to a clean energy system.
