Above, a slide showing, in pink, all the energy projects that have died in Hawaii.

Clean energy faces same barriers as housing: too many regulations

from Grassroot Institute of Hawaii, May 22, 2025

Hawaii’s state government is unlikely to achieve its 100% renewable energy goals by 2045 for the same reason it is unable to resolve its seemingly never-ending housing crisis: There are simply too many regulations in the way.

That was the basic message Grassroot Institute of Hawaii Executive Vice President Joe Kent shared during a panel discussion on “community energy priorities” at the Hawaii Energy Conference presented by the Maui Economic Development Board on Wednesday, May 21, 2025, in Wailuku.

Kent said building a power plant is similar to building a home: You have to be in the right zone, you need to get all the permits and sometimes you need to get approval from your neighbors. Another barrier is the inflexibility of long-term agreements in a changing world. 

This is all bad news for entrepreneurs trying to launch new clean energy projects in Hawaii. Over the past five years, he said, 15 energy projects in the state have been cancelled — more than half of the power projects being considered.

He said the law of diminishing returns means it’s going to get harder to achieve that goal as time goes by, not easier, yet a lot of people are in denial about being able to reach that goal. 

Kent also talked about how existing power plants in Hawaii are scheduled to be retired soon, and if new power sources aren’t allowed to develop soon, it could mean more blackouts and brownouts for Hawaii residents and businesses.