Can Hawaii wean itself of oil imports?

Key points

• Hawaii imports much of its fuel — and pays the price.
• From solar to geothermal, the state is searching for a way out of fossil fuel dependence.
• A chain of islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean without domestic oil or gas reserves, the 50th US state has long relied on imported fossil fuels to power its economy.
• Foreign petroleum fuels much of the energy grid, and the sea and air transport that Hawaii relies on to move people and goods — and to deliver the near 10 million annual tourists to its shores.
• Hawaii began to reduce this fuel dependency in 2015 when it became the first US state to commit to transitioning to 100% renewable electricity by 2045. The aim was to exploit homegrown solar, wind, bioenergy, hydroelectricity, and geothermal power contained in its volcanic landscape.