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The Hawaii State Energy Office (HSEO) and Hawaiian Electric, each commissioned their own unique assessments on the future of energy use in Hawaii. Each addresses the common problem that the assumptions made in 2008 to calculate the amount of renewable energy needed to reach its 100% clean fuel goals by 2045 are no longer valid.

The issue is that when the EV transportation sector is included in the new projections, the need for energy on Hawaii’s grid will more than double. This means that given Hawaii's limited space, there will not be enough available renewable energy in the form of rooftop or farmed solar, batteries, or wind to make an easy energy transition from fossil fuels to renewables. So what comes next? Alternatives include geothermal, offshore wind, and pumped hydro. But some think that Hawaii will have to develop new pathways to physically remove carbon from the air through Direct Air Capture (DAC) and other means. This is called decarbonization.

Stephen Walls, the HSEO deputy director, who is part of a new generation of energy planners in Hawaii, will discuss how the state energy planners are reassessing their thoughts and calculations - to develop new clean energy pathways to 2045.