It is possible to move aggressively toward energy independence without being reckless about it.

So, the challenge facing the state Legislature this session is whether it will find that delicate balance between prudence and resolve on the promotion of alternative, renewable energy sources.

There is a heavy platter of proposals on the table before lawmakers this session and a state administration that is pursuing partnerships with the U.S. Department of Energy — all of which offer the uplifting prospect that something useful might be accomplished this session.

But not all the bills will result in real progress toward the goal of making Hawai'i less dependent on fossil fuels.

For example, House Bill 2506 proposes that the Legislative Reference Bureau research ways to reorganize state agencies to help advance the state's comprehensive long-term energy strategy.

Let's not waste energy on this one at this point. The state administration has testified against it: Various officials correctly pointed out that any such restructuring would make more sense after the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism finishes the biofuels plan that lawmakers mandated last year.

And calling for a study would be another cause for delay. Hawai'i has a serious problem with its reliance on petroleum-based energy, one that affects its environment as well as its economy. Ordering up this study would be "focusing on the deck chairs, and not the iceberg," as Henry Curtis of the environmental group Life of the Land remarked, an exercise that would delay substantive work on the issue.

So what should be done? Here is a look at some of the key proposals still percolating through the state Capitol: