There's a debate going on in Hawaiʻi about whether importing liquefied natural gas and burning it instead of oil for power can lower electricity costs and keep the state on track with its clean energy mandates.
Hawaiʻi's not the only state trying to balance affordability and ambitious climate goals. HPR has teamed up with Canary Media, a nonprofit newsroom that covers the clean energy transition, to bring this story to a national audience. HPR's Bill Dorman spoke with our climate and energy reporter, Savannah Harriman-Pote, and Canary Media's Julian Spector, who co-reported the story.
You can find the full report, published on Canary's website, here. And check out more of HPR reporting on this topic at the links below:
- UHERO fellow admits error in energy report came from AI
- Gov. Green says JERA and HECO close to deal to bring natural gas to Oʻahu
- Some question if the JERA natural gas project will deliver meaningful savings
- JERA wants to bypass the competitive bidding process. What is that exactly?
- Japan's largest energy company releases proposal to power Oʻahu's grid with LNG
- Hawaiʻi's ‘new energy strategy’ opens door to liquefied natural gas imports
This story aired on The Conversation on July 14, 2026. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m.
