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There are vital reasons for Gov. Ige to veto SB 2510 -- the 33 percent firm renewables bill.
SB 2510 would force every island grid to use polluting, non-carbon-sequestering biomass.
Of the other 66 percent of each island's energy grid, each renewable energy, except geothermal, would be limited to 45 percent of the grid's energy generation.
SB 2510 would be at cross-purposes to the Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative, and that could be unconstitutional.
U.N. Climate Action findings stress that the multiple types of biomass are a limited resource. "Renewable energy is energy derived from natural sources that are replenished at a higher rate than they are consumed."
This is not the case with biomass, which is consumed at a higher rate than it can be replenished or will again be able to sequester carbon.
Scientists wrote in "The Hill" that: "Declaring biomass to be carbon neutral (or renewable) with no regard for the health consequences may set us onto a path toward further investing in an energy system with an already-serious health burden, ambiguous climate benefits and environmental justice issues in the supply chain. Committing to alternatives, or better yet, making major energy decisions using a systems-level approach with both climate and public health in mind, can set us on a pathway toward an energy system that is healthier, more just and more compatible with the recommendations of the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change."
If SB 2510 were to pass, it would put thousands at risk, particularly on Maui, where there are fewer renewable energy options.
Carol Cam
Lahaina