Posted on: Friday, December 13, 2002

Photovoltaic 'farm' step to independence

Hawai'i will take another small step toward the dream of energy self-sufficiency soon, when a consortium of military, utility and academic groups launch a huge solar voltaic "energy park" in 'Ewa near Pearl Harbor.

This will be a triple-threat project, producing renewable energy for the O'ahu electric power grid, lowering energy costs for the Navy on whose land it will be built and offering the hope of greater support for hydrogen cell energy in the Islands.

Beyond trying to cut down on its energy bill, the Navy is interested in this project because it offers an alternative source of electrical energy for its vital operations in time of emergency. It is doubtful this project would have moved forward without this Defense Department contribution.

The plan is to spread new generation photovoltaic cells on some 34.5 acres of Navy-owned land in 'Ewa. In addition to producing electricity directly, the solar farm would power efforts to create hydrogen fuel cells.

It seems clear that Hawai'i will never meet its entire energy need from projects such as photovoltaic or windmill farms, nor should it. Both aesthetic and technical considerations argue against it.

But eventually, projects such as this, along with more futuristic hydrogen-based energy operations plus sophisticated technology to manage and control demand, will put Hawai'i where it should be: Free of its dependence on oil.