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Published in:
Introduction: Roots, Vision, and Strategy Read chapter Read first chapter

2017 | OriginalPaper | Chapter

7. Environmental Implications and Other Disconnects

Authors : William S. Pintz, Hermina Morita

Published in: Clean Energy from the Earth, Wind and Sun

Publisher: Springer International Publishing

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Abstract

This chapter discusses the complex interaction of state energy policy and federal environmental policy. The substitution of renewable resources and energy efficiency is commonly seen as an environmentally friendly alternative to the burning of hydrocarbons. However, Hawaii’s experience with the Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative strategy suggests that this assumption may be subject to significant administrative and organizational constraints. Two major environmental programs under the Federal Clean Air Act deal with greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and with sulfur releases from power plants. Due to different implementation timeframes and local interpretation of EPA directives by the State Department of Health, HCEI planners were faced with the possibility of making very large Clean Air investments that would quickly become unnecessary under a successful HCEI energy policy.

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previous chapter Unconnected Dots—Early Implementation of the Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative Surface Transportation Goals
next chapter Years of Uncertainty and Surprise
Footnotes
1
While exemptions from national environmental standards are possible and there are examples of such waivers in Hawaii, the barriers to exemptions are understandably high and the presumption is that the national standard will prevail.
 
2
The biodiesel proposed by HECO under the HCEI was seen by the PUC as being too expensive and, in any event, local production of biodiesel was not feasible within the short time required by the new EPA regulations.
 
3
The business members represented the electric utility, maritime, transportation, and oil refining sectors.
 
4
The DBEDT and Department of Health representatives were co-chairs of the Task Force.
 
5
ICF is a consulting company with extensive experience in preparing GHG inventories and analysis for federal and state governments.
 
6
The ICF analysis assumes a 35.8 mpg federal CAFE standard by 2016 and a 42.5 mpg standard for 2020.
 
7
“Reference Projection” refers to the primary HCEI scenarios.
 
8
A series of strengthening measures proposed inclusion of a carbon tax as a contingency in the event that the HCEI was unable to meet its timetable and objectives. Support for this view was from academic and environmental members of the task force.
 
9
Although DBEDT had played a major role in formulating Act 234 and running the GHGTF, its attention shifted quickly to the pressing challenges of implementing the HCEI. This left Act 234 “rule making” entirely in the hands of the Department of Health…which seemed oblivious to the implications of HCEI.
 
10
Computer modeling studies at HECO clearly showed that under the most likely development scenario, HECO would easily meet its emissions target by 2020. These studies confirmed the findings of earlier studies by ICF that were presented to the GHGTF.
 
11
As a result, the Department of Health proceeded to formulate rules which potentially overlapped with the HCEI energy policy and complicated PUC oversight of the HCEI implementation. On some issues, such as carbon sequestration by biofuel crops, the proposed Act 234 rules crossed other important aspects of state (agriculture and development) policy. In retrospect, there were many bureaucratic demons at work here. While interdepartmental communication channels between government departments in the incoming Abercrombie administration were still developing, the problem seemed to be much bigger than the simple lack of liaison.
 
12
The Republican Administration of Governor Linda Lingle was replaced by the Democratic Administration of Neil Abercrombie in January 2012. None of the new Abercrombie appointees had been involved with the GHG policies of the previous administration. This included not only new DOH policy makers, but a new Director for DBEDT.
 
13
The basis for the original 25 % reduction was unclear and when subsequently challenged, the DOH reduced the target to 16 % but maintained the industry exemptions.
 
14
In some cases the 2012 level of emissions was already below 1990 target levels.
 
15
DOH proposed to exempt mobile sources, the H-POWER waste-to-energy facility and biogenic (biofuel) sources until some future date.
 
16
GHG regulations were in the hands of DOH, and HCEI regulation was the responsibility of the Public Utilities Commission. It is interesting to note that almost 90 % of the GHGs that would be regulated by the DOH rules are directly or indirectly subject to PUC regulation.
 
17
Chapter 8 will consider some of the barriers to information dissemination of the HCEI.
 
18
The carbon tax approach seemed more suited for the isolated Hawaii energy market than the cap-and-trade alternative because of the small number of large emission sources in Hawaii.
 
19
Two members of the GHGTF came from the UH faculty.
 
20
The call for ‘additional support measures to insure the success of HCEI’ may reflect the inherent anxiety about the future prospects of achieving HCEI’s ambitious goals.
 
21
The arguments for and against these alternatives are fairly complex and subtle, as they involve costs and benefit flows from the general tax base to/from electrical consumers. Since these two groups significantly (but not entirely) overlap, any meaningful discussion would require a detailed cost-benefit study.
 
22
The characteristics of the solar resources are important for two reasons. First, and obviously, large-scale solar is anticipated to play a significant role in the eventual HCEI formula. Second, in Hawaii’s urban areas, rooftop solar is seen as an important demand-reducing factor for the power grid.
 
Literature
Department of Business Economic Development and Tourism/GHGTF. (2009b). Green House Work Plan For Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reductions (Attached To Report To The Twenty Fifth Legislature State of Hawaii). files.​hawaii.​gov/​dbedt/​annuals/​2009/​2009-sid-ghgrtf.​pdf
Hawaii Natural Energy Institute/FGE. (2012, December). Liquefied natural gas for Hawaii: Policy, economic and technical questions. hnei.​hawaii.​edu/​sites/​dev.​hnei.​hawaii.​edu/​Liquified%20​Natural%20​Gas%20​Policy%Economic%20​and%20​Technical%20​Questions-Final.​pdf
Metadata
Title
Environmental Implications and Other Disconnects
Authors
William S. Pintz
Hermina Morita
Copyright Year
2017
Book
Clean Energy from the Earth, Wind and Sun

Print ISBN: 978-3-319-48676-5

Electronic ISBN: 978-3-319-48677-2

Copyright Year: 2017

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-48677-2_7