Can Hawaii wean itself off oil imports?

Published 8 June 2026 · world

Hawaii imports much of its fuel — and pays the price. From solar to geothermal, the state is searching for a way out of fossil

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. That target was expanded out to the whole economy in 2018, with Hawaii adopting a pioneering "net-negative" carbon emissions goal for 2045 at the latest. And a world first youth-led climate case also forced the state to decarbonize the transport sector by the same year. Peter Sternlicht, a board member of renewable energy nonprofit, Sustainable Energy Hawaii, says such ambitious sustainable energy targets that "minimize, or wholly eliminate, dependence on imported energy" have been driven by a quest for energy self-reliance. Hawaii's youth forges path out of climate crisis To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video As the latest oil shock caused by the US-Israel war on Iran resonates across global markets, the goal remains even more relevant. But how can a decarbonized, energy independent economy be achieved within 20 years? The challenge "The state needs many policies if it's going to hit its 2045 goal," said Paul Bernstein, an economic policy specialist at the University of Hawaii.

Hawaii's chain of islands have diverse energy needs based on their population and geography. The island of Oahu, containing the state's largest city, Honolulu, will not be easy to decarbonize. "On Oahu, where population density and land constraints make the transition more challenging, the state is prioritizing grid modernization, more efficient generation, and major private-sector investment to support large-scale renewables and storage in the years ahead," said Mark B. Glick, chief energy officer of the Hawaii State Energy Office. Meanwhile on Maui, after a 2023 hurricane downed power lines that sparked wildfires claiming 102 lives, the state energy office says it has been a challenge for Hawaiian Electric, the state's largest utility, to continue an affordable transition to renewable energy. Even where wind, solar and batteries are helping with the transition, and with around 50% of homes on Oahu having rooftop solar, Glick says geothermal energy needs to be a bigger part of the mix. On Hawaii Island, the state's largest, abundant geothermal energy had been harnessed to provide a peak of around 30% of its electricity in 2017. Output was subsequently reduced by a volcanic eruption but the authorities are planning a 20% capacity expansion by late 2026. With the Pacific islands state so reliant on air transport, decarbonizating will be a struggle Image: Markus Mainka/Shotshop/picture alliance A major challenge for Hawaii is decarbonizing shipping and air travel, exacerbated by a reliance on planes for tourism. "Basically all our goods are brought in from somewhere else," noted Paul Bernstein. He says sustainable aviation fuel and plane efficiency improvements will help reduce air emissions, but that flight electrification is a long way off. Pathways to decarbonization In 2022, the Hawaii state legislature passed an act calling for the state energy office to "analyze pathways" and to achieve the state's "economy-wide decarbonization goals." A report commissioned by the state legislature presented decarbonization scenarios in which Hawaii's energy sector could transition within decades.