Energy is a public trust resource in Hawaiʻi.

Help us build a movement for an energy system that benefits us all.

Energy sources are a public trust resource in Hawaiʻi, as essential as our streams, land, and air. They should not rest in the hands of profit-driven entities, but rather a managed resource similar, to our land and water, to promote the wellbeing of all communities; as it was intended over a century ago by the Hawaiian Kingdom. But profits got in the way.

Now is the moment to reclaim our power and create an energy future rooted in justice, democracy, sustainability, and aloha ʻāina— for the benefit of present and future generations

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A vision of energy democracy:

Power for the people by the people ✊🏽— It’s time to move beyond the outdated, profit-driven energy systems dominated by corporate utilities and global developers who often build projects far from the communities they impact.

A resilient future includes creating opportunities for communities to design and own energy projects, rooted in place-based knowledge and guided by a cultural lens that uplifts both people and ʻāina. This is energy sovereignty in action: a vision of self-determination and collective governance, where energy empowers communities to thrive in harmony with local values and protects vital natural resources and ecosystems.

Our current system doesn’t work for us. But it was designed this way.

Almost ten years after Hawaiʻi adopted the 100% renewable energy by 2045 policy, our drastically behind. That is the reason our electricity rates are so high for the vast majority of residents, the price of oil (and the importing of oil on ships that use more fossil fuels to deliver), which is Hawaiʻi's main source of energy, along with the fixed costs of power plants and maintaining the grid infrastructure.

On an average day, roughly 65% of the energy Oʻahu uses is powered by oil. Because the price of oil can fluctuate greatly, Hawaiian Electric sets the cost at the higher energy rate. And the burden’s on us. The problem is that Hawaiian Electric passes on the high cost of oil to you, the customer, through the "Energy Cost Recovery Clause". On paper, it works both ways—with price increases and decreases—but in all actuality, customers hardly see savings when oil prices drop, such as during COVID-19 when oil prices were extremely low, and our energy burden was still high.

But we want to go beyond the economics of energy and fight for a system treats energy as a commons.

Things are interconnected, our energy issues interact with food security, tourism, and housing. It won’t be one thing that achieves justice. Centering community-voices remediate a lot of tensions and a real reckoning with the embedded injustices in the current system design that is often siloed to help better guide the path forward that is holistic and place-based. Ensuring fair and equitable distribution of the benefits and burdens of energy production activities, and to quote author of “Revolutionary Power” and former Office of Economic Impact and Diversity at the U.S. Department of Energy, Shalanda Baker,

“The descendants of extraction must be the architects and beneficiaries of an equitable and just energy system.”

☀️ Renewables can save us, but no greenwashing.

Clean, renewable energy has the power to lower electricity costs and create a healthier, more sustainable environment—but only if we do it right. Right now, the centralized system is persistent in pursuing large-scale (200 acre+) projects, overlooking the full potential of an innovative diversified energy system. To truly achieve 100% renewable and affordable energy, we need to embrace solutions like microgrids, regionalized power production, and residential rooftop solar. But let’s face it—not everyone has access to a roof. So how do we ensure everyone benefits from this brighter energy future? The answer lies in creating inclusive, community-driven solutions that leave no one behind.

Hawaiʻi’s high cost of living and low wages have forced nearly half of our residents into rental housing, leaving the majority without control over their energy choices or access to savings measures like solar water heaters and energy-efficient appliances. But there are real, actionable solutions to bring affordable renewable energy to tenants, they can even be part owners if it is owned by their local cooperative like on Molokaiʻi. Yet Hawaiʻi’s monopolized utility structure, corporate developer dominance, and top down processes stifling progress and keeping communities locked out of the clean energy future they deserve. It’s time to break these barriers and demand solutions that work for everyone.

Energy should never come at the expense of our health—neither public nor environmental. It’s time to shut down dirty energy and shift away from dirty “renewable energy,” like HPOWER and biomass, and break free from our dependence on imported oil. But the transition to clean energy must be more than just a shift in power sources; it must be a shift in power itself.

We need to work hand-in-hand with communities to develop renewable energy projects that reflect their needs, values, and vision for the future. By prioritizing microgrids and small-scale, community-led solutions over sprawling wind farms or solar farms, we can create an energy system that uplifts both people and ʻāina, ensuring a just and sustainable future for all.

People-Powered Energy Solutions

In 2018, Hawaiʻi passed the Hawaiʻi Ratepayer Protection Act into law which establishes performance-based incentives for the electric utility to provide cheaper, renewable energy to its customers. As a for-profit corporation, Hawaiian Electric is beholden to its shareholders, which has contributed to the extremely high rates that residents pay since historically the utility has been able to pass down costs to ratepayers. This Ratepayer Protection Act was a step towards holding the utility accountable for providing affordable, clean energy to our community but we’ve yet to see real bill relief.

A new report issued by the Public Utilities Commission estimates that 6,000 households had their power cut in 2023 due to missed payments, which is about double the number of disconnections that occurred in 2019, the amount of residents whose electricity was shutoff doubled since 2019.

Since energy is a public trust resource, it is imperative that we take real strides that move our energy system away from the private investor-owned utility model and towards a democratic, transparent, and publicly accountable utility. There are alternatives to the status quo. Reports show that public utilities that are public and/or community-owned and not-for-profit provide reliable, affordable electricity that is safe for our neighbors and environment. Public utilities are part of the community and employ the community—diversifying our workforce and providing stable jobs closer to home. In addition, local communities could have a greater say in implementing innovative small scale community solar provide the opportunity to those that do not have access to roofs—like renters or apartment dwellers—to have access to affordable clean energy.

There is a saying amongst local community advocates: “Go slow to go fast” which is meant to emphasize being intentional in our cultivation of relationships with each other. When we bake dialogue and time into the early stages of planning with those who are going to be directly affected by a potential decision, decision-making actually goes faster.

We need a mechanism like our Board of Water Supply which is simply in the business of providing an essential service and managing the vitality of that source for present and future generations. This is all completely possible and necessary if we are ever to have a truly just and equitable energy system.

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