by Rep Cynthia Thielen (R-Kailua)
Hawai‘i State Representative Cynthia Thielen (R, 50th District: Kailua, Kaneohe Bay) announced that Hawaii's wave energy resources are substantially greater than previously estimated. The U.S. Department of Energy's newly released "Mapping and Assessment of the United States Ocean Wave Energy Resource" shows Hawaii's wave energy was significantly underestimated. The updated assessment shows Hawaii's wave energy resource is 130TWh/yr according to DOE.
The DOE's report demonstrates Hawaii's wave energy is a viable resource that can supply a significant amount of renewable energy on each island. I see wave energy as a positive investment that could move Hawaii's energy supply away from petroleum, create new jobs, and decrease our State's greenhouse gas emissions," declared Thielen.
The Marine Corps Base Hawai‘i at Kaneohe Bay (MCBH) is in the permitting stage of constructing a Wave Hub. "Within the coming years, companies can pay to 'plug in' and test their Wave Energy Converters," explained Thielen.
The State of Hawaii should follow MCBH's lead regarding the adoption of wave energy technologies to harness Hawaii's rich ocean resource to energize its grid," stated Thielen. The DOE Report which notes the United States could obtain 15% of its energy from marine resources by 2030 can be found at http://www1.eere.energy.gov/water/pdfs/mappingandassessment.pdf
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