HONOLULU — Hawai‘i’s progress toward achieving its goals in energy efficiency, renewable energy, clean transportation and decarbonization is among the updates detailed in the 2020 edition of Hawai‘i’s Energy Facts and Figures, released this week by the State Energy Office.
The 43-page report is a compendium of statistics and information about Hawai‘i’s energy sector intended to support informed decision-making and a better understanding of the energy landscape in Hawai‘i.
The annual publication is aimed at a broad audience, including policymakers, planners, developers, academics and the general public.
Among the noteworthy details in this edition of Hawai‘i’s Energy Facts and Figures:
• Hawai‘i’s dependence on petroleum has been gradually trending downward, from 90% of energy needs in 2003 to 84% in 2018;
• Some 57% of Hawai‘i’s crude-oil imports were sourced from Libya in 2019, followed by Russia at 34%;
• Energy-efficiency measures continue to offer an attractive return on investment. Each dollar spent on efficiency in Hawai‘i saves 15 times that amount on energy bills, compared to a 10-to-1 ratio nationally;
• Solar accounted for 12.7% of Hawai‘i’s electricity production in 2019, compared with 2.5% nationally;
• State government agencies reduced their electricity use by 17.5% between 2005 and 2019;
• O‘ahu had 205 miles of bike lanes in 2019, the most of any island in the state;
• Hawai‘i electric-vehicle ownership soared to 12,716 vehicles in October 2020 from 161 vehicles in October 2010.
“The Energy Office continually strives to improve the quality and timeliness of the data and information we compile and disseminate,” said office Chief Energy Officer Scott Glenn. “Hawai‘i’s Energy Facts and Figures is a valuable tool for anyone to understand more about trends and data related to Hawai‘i’s energy sector.”
The report, first published in 2012, draws on a wide variety of sources, including the U.S. Department of Energy, the International Energy Agency, private-sector energy companies and various state agencies. For this report, the data presented are prior to the impacts of COVID-19. Data showing the impacts of COVID-19 on an annual basis are expected to become available for some data sets with the 2021 report.
