The islands of Hawaii are proving to be a laboratory for renewable energy projects, playing host to a variety of pilot projects that could end up paving the way for the rest of the country's transition to an energy menu with more renewable options.
"With the most diverse array of alternative energy potential of any state in the nation, Hawaii has set out to become a living laboratory for the rest of the country, hoping it can slash its dependence on fossil fuels while keeping the lights on.
Every island has at least one energy accent: waves in Maui, wind in Lanai and Molokai, solar panels in Oahu and eventually, if all goes well, biomass energy from crops grown on Kauai. Here on the Big Island of Hawaii, seawater is also being converted to electricity."
But one of the main challenges remains the distance between these energy sources and the metropolitan areas that have the highest energy needs.
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