The Path to 100% Clean Energy was Decades in the Making
It has been 10 months since Governor David Ige signed a bill setting a goal of 100 percent renewable energy in Hawaii’s power sector. With that, Hawaii became the first state in the nation to set such an aggressive goal. This did not happen overnight. It was the vision of a handful of individuals that Hawaii would, one day, rid itself of its addiction to imported oil. As of 10 months ago, that vision is set to come to life in 2045.
I had the chance to interview one of those visionaries. His name is Maurice Kaya. Born and raised in Papaiko, a town on Hawaii Island’s Hamakua coast, he led the State Energy Office for two decades as it helped build a path for a self-sufficient energy future for Hawaii.
The story starts in 1973 with the first oil crisis. The Arab nations within OPEC (the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries) had imposed an oil embargo that significantly increased the price of a barrel of oil. This generated awareness, but not a sense of urgency. Why was that? “When oil prices are low, there is no motivation to act. It was a struggle for people to come up with the kinds of commitments that would focus the entire community on the execution strategy that was needed (to achieve energy self-sufficiency),” said Maurice. “When I was first working on this, I characterized it as a continual ‘you’ve got to take me seriously’. It was a constant battle.”
A second jolt of pain was felt in 1979 with the second oil crisis. This led to a fuel shortage, the effects of which were noticed first in gasoline and then electricity, motivating the state government to start thinking about energy self-sufficiency.
By 2006, advancements in technology and the upward creep in the price of oil led renewable energy to become price competitive with oil. “There were many opposing views as to whether or not we needed an RPS (renewable portfolio standard) and we hadn’t been thinking in terms of more than 20 or 30 percent (renewable energy),” recounts Maurice. “But, there’s one thing that happened in 2008, and that was the recession. We had unprecedented price run-ups in oil; unheard of at the time. Prior to 2008, we had $30–40 a barrel and we thought the world was coming to an end. Well, it went up to $120–130 per barrel in 2008. People were really concerned about that, including our policy makers, and they decided that it’s now or never. There was legislation enacted that gave marching orders to do something very bold and very robust. Those actions caught the attention of folks outside of Hawaii as well, including the Department of Energy.”
In 2008, the Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative was signed by Governor Linda Lingle and the U.S. Department of Energy. It aligned Hawaii’s energy stakeholders around a goal of 70% clean energy by 2030. It was an unprecedented partnership and the most aggressive renewable energy goal in the nation.
As the State continued to surpass intermediary milestones, it created a lively discussion around increasing the original goal to 100 percent renewable energy.
In June of 2015, Governor David Ige signed a bill setting Hawaii’s energy goals to 100 percent by 2045. Beyond environmental and economic benefits, this goal creates an opportunity for the next generation of problem solvers. “You’re breaking new ground, so it’s going to create problems,” says Maurice. “That’s why we have the need for innovators.”
Today, Kaya spends his personal and professional time doing just that, working with the next generation of innovators to help Hawaii reach its aggressive goals. He and I work together at Energy Excelerator, a startup program for entrepreneurs that are solving Hawaii and the world’s energy challenges.
I asked him if he had any final thoughts and he closed with this: “When I was first working at the State it was a continual battle. Now, it’s not so much of that anymore…The wholesale buy-in is something that I am really thankful for…Of course there are disagreements, ups and downs, but by in large you don’t have to sell the idea that this (energy self-sufficiency) is important anymore. I don’t know how much I contributed, but I can say that I am very thankful to be a part of the revolution that has taken place in this state.”
Originally published in the Honolulu Star Advertiser in April 2016
