Column: ‘Setting The Record Straight On Resilience And Renewables’

Sep 27, 2023

Ulupono Initiative President Murray Clay sets the record straight around false narratives pitting renewables and resilience against each other following the devastating Maui wildfires. In a recent Community Voices column, he wrote: “… the devastating wildfires on Maui are the worst disaster in Hawaii in living memory. With lives, homes and businesses lost, it is proper to ask hard questions and demand accountability.”

“However, we need to be wary of false narratives and outright manipulation by those who seek to use our grief for their own aims. One significant example of this is recent reporting and lawsuits that suggest the electric utility chose renewable energy over, or instead of, resiliency. Such statements are badly misinformed at the very least if not outright deceptive.”

Clay explained that renewable energy is not a source of major capital expenditures and, on the contrary, lowers customers’ rates and gives them more options while fighting climate change. He emphasized that the best choice in combating climate change while lowing costs for consumers is the simultaneous pursuit of renewable energy and critical resiliency investments. “In short, there never has been a choice between renewables or resiliency.”

Read the full column here.