Clint Churchill and Ed MacNaughton apparently haven’t kept up with advances in clean, renewable energy technology because they continue to insist on the consumption of dirty fossil fuels (“Integrated grid plan faces challenges of cost and reliability,” Star-Advertiser, Island Voices, June 22).
In particular, solar energy is now the cheapest form of energy, and it is reliable when combined with battery storage. The Waikoloa project on Hawaii island, for example, combines solar panels with battery storage to deliver electricity continuously, while reducing electricity rates for Hawaiian Electric customers.
Furthermore, the Inflation Reduction Act has reduced the manufacturing costs of solar panels so that those manufactured in the U.S. are now cheaper than those from China.
When it comes to solar, rooftops represent an underutilized resource. According to a University of Hawaii study, Oahu rooftops have enough space for solar panels that can generate enough electricity for all of Oahu’s needs.
Solar energy should be a major contributor to Hawaii’s 100% clean, renewable-energy future.
John Kawamoto
Kaimuki
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