Charting Our Energy Path

Hawaii is required to produce 100% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2045, one of the most ambitious clean energy mandates in the world. Despite growth in rooftop solar and other renewable investments, the state still generates only about 36% of its power from renewables1 and Oahu maintains the highest emissions intensity of any U.S. grid.2 Aging infrastructure adds to the challenge: about 20% of Hawaiian Electric’s generation fleet has been recently offline or operating significantly below normal capacity, increasing reliability risks for ratepayers.3

Recognizing this, Governor Josh Green directed the Hawaii State Energy Office (HSEO) to develop a plan to lower electricity costs, reduce emissions, and transition away from oil.

HSEO’s 2025 Alternative Fuels, Repowering, and Energy Transition Study found that switching to liquified natural gas (LNG), a cleaner bridge fuel, while upgrading power plants can lower costs, cut emissions, and stabilize the grid as renewable energy continues to grow.3

Natural gas offers a practical solution to Hawaii’s energy crisis by providing:

Lower Costs – Switching from oil to natural gas could decrease electricity costs in Hawaii by more than 15%, equivalent to approximately $340 in ratepayer savings per year.3

Grid Reliability – Natural gas, with modernized power plants, ensures 24/7 power stability, preventing outages while supporting a transition to intermittent renewable energy sources.

Lower Emissions – Natural gas reduces carbon emissions by an average of 38-44% per kWh compared to oil — our current primary fuel source.3

Decarbonization – Natural gas infrastructure can be converted to run on zero-carbon fuels, such as hydrogen, biofuels and ammonia, making it the best long-term investment for Hawaii’s energy future.

Common Questions

liquified gas spheres

What is LNG?
Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) is natural gas cooled to about –260°F (–162°C), turning it into a liquid. This process reduces its volume by about 600 times, making it easier to store and transport4 — similar to shrinking a beach ball to the size of a ping-pong ball.

Is LNG safe?
Yes. LNG is odorless, colorless, and non-toxic. In its liquid form, it is not flammable.5 If released, LNG quickly vaporizes, dissipating into the atmosphere without leaving residue.6 LNG has been used safely worldwide for more than 50 years.

Why can’t we skip LNG and go straight to 100% renewables?
Oahu's current renewable infrastructure cannot reliably meet electricity demand on its own.

Solar and wind energy are intermittent, meaning reliable backup power is still needed when the sun isn’t shining or the wind isn’t blowing. Today, that backup is oil. LNG can replace oil while the grid is modernized to handle higher levels of renewable energy and ensure consistent, reliable power.

  1. Public Utilities Commission. (2025, February 10). Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS) Annual Reports (Electric, Docket 2007-0008).

  2. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. (2025, June 12). eGRID summary data.

  3. Hawaiʻi State Energy Office. (2025). Alternative fuels, repowering, and energy transition study.

  4. Shell Global. Shell. (n.d.). Liquefied natural gas (LNG).

  5. Southern Gas Association. (2023). LNG: Fact or fiction?

  6. ResearchGate. Aminian, M. (2015). LNG Safety and Security.