Celebrating the wins: Ending coal in Hawaiʻi
Drum roll please...for the biggest win of the year… I give you: ending coal burning in Hawaiʻi once and for all. Through Act 023 (SLH 2020), formerly Senate Bill 2629 SD2 HD1, we solidified the closing of the AES Hawaiʻi coal plant, ensuring the end of coal in our islands by 2023.
But this news isn’t just big for Hawaiʻi—closing this AES plant also marks 60% of the coal plants across the United States being retired. This milestone doubles the Sierra Club’s original goal, set in 2011, which pledged to retire 30 percent of the nation’s coal fleet by 2020 and accelerate the United States’ transition to a clean energy economy.
This HUGE win was made possible by your continued support and advocacy. Many years in the making, this accomplishment was made even sweeter because it came during such a challenging year. Celebrate clean air with a gift today!
Banning coal is a big step forward in Hawaiʻi’s journey to 100% clean renewable energy. This means that after 2022, there will be no more coal in the Hawaiian Islands and the toxic ash leftover from burning coal will no longer be transported to the PVT landfill next to homes in Nānākuli. Public health and air quality in West Oʻahu, along with our overall climate resiliency, is about to get a whole lot better.
We also sued over the last coal plant’s emissions and WON! We sued the Hawaiʻi Department of Health this year for their failure to issue timely decisions on the greenhouse gas emissions plans for Hawaiʻi’s power plants, including the AES Hawaiʻi coal-fired plant in West Oʻahu. AES Hawaiʻi had previously asked the Department of Health to allow the facility to increase its greenhouse gas emissions in 2020 instead of decrease as required by state law.
We got them coming and going! Woot, woot!
So why am I bringing this up today? Because this year has been tough, there is no denying it. The bad news outweighs the good. This year was also a landmark year for us in the courts, and even if for just a second, I wanted to bathe you in good news and invite you to join me in a little happy dance, celebrating the wins. Last week we celebrated cleaner waters for Maui and the U.S. and today we celebrate cleaner air and a stronger climate.
-- Happy dance --
While these accomplishments are a big move in the right direction towards 100% clean energy by 2045, Hawaiʻi still remains the most oil-dependent state in the nation. We still have a long way to go and need to take a serious look at our energy providers and the new renewable energy projects in the works. Our communities deserve a real seat at the table in the selection of energy projects in their neighborhoods and more transparency in current and future energy systems. Join us as we work to make truly equitable and accessible clean energy a reality.