EDITORIAL
New electricity plan must push renewables

Going in, Hawaiian Electric Co. knew that its plans for a brand-new oil-burning power plant on O'ahu would not meet with universal acclaim.

And so it was, after the company announced a draft "integrated resource plan" that includes bringing a new power plant online by the year 2009.

Critics immediately complained that the energy company simply cannot separate itself from outdated technological thinking. That's one way to look at it.

At the same time, it is only fair to recognize that Hawaiian Electric has undergone an almost theological shift in thinking in recent years. Yes, it has concluded that the energy demands of O'ahu cannot be met without another power plant.

But it has also committed to meeting state requirements that 20 percent of our energy come from renewable resources.

That 20 percent should be a floor, not a ceiling.

The keystone of the renewable effort is a proposed "wind energy farm" on the Leeward Coast. This is renewable energy in its purest form, although it comes with its own set of environmental, aesthetic and cultural objections.

The package also includes pumped-up energy conservation and efficiency efforts and the construction of a power plant that is "fuel flexible," in that it would be able to burn renewable biofuels when and if they become commercially available. "Commercially available" essentially says when such fuels are cheaper than those available today.

It's also worth noting that much of what the company burns today is a byproduct of refinery output for gasoline and jet fuel. In other words, much of what is burned to produce electricity is product that would otherwise have to be disposed or shipped off-island.

Hawaiian Electric's No. 1 obligation is to provide reliable and sustainable electric power, a key component of our long-term economic viability.

Still, plans for a new plant must not lessen the pressure for alternatives, including renewable energy and conservation, to the point where the goal of being nearly independent from imported oil will never be reached.

It is up to Hawaiian Electric to ensure we do not lose sight of that goal. In the long term, it is just as important as maintaining a steady supply of electricity today.