Coal Free Hawaiʻi

Hawaiʻi to be coal free before 2023!

Hawaiʻi has one remaining coal-fired power plant—AES Hawaiʻi power plant on the Waiʻanae Coast of Oʻahu. This single coal plant is the largest single source of toxic pollutants on the island.

Governor Ige signed Act 23 (2020) into law—solidifying the end of coal burning in Hawaiʻi before 2023. The power purchase agreement between AES and Hawaiian Electric ends in 2022 and this law ensures coal burning will not be extended beyond then.

Big mahalo to our members, supporters and volunteers that helped make this climate win a reality. The Sierra Club of Hawaiʻi has worked towards this moment for several years and we are excited to see it finally happen. We also extend a huge thank you to Rep. Nicole Lowen for championing this bill—take a moment to thank her, via email or Twitter, for her support and hard work!

The end of coal in Hawaiʻi also marks 60% of the coal plants across the United States being retired. This milestone doubles the Sierra Club’s original goal, set in 2011, which pledged to retire 30 percent of the nation’s coal fleet by 2020 and accelerate the United States’ transition to a clean energy economy.

This is big news but there is still a lot of work to be done before 2023 (and beyond). AES has recently tried to increase its greenhouse gas emissions from its West Oʻahu coal plant and continues to transport the toxic coal ash from its power plant to the PVT landfill in Nānākuli, where it is used to blanket the day’s trash—harming the workers’ and surrounding communities’ health and air quality. Read more below.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Coal does not make sense for Hawaiʻi—the coal is mined in Indonesia and brought to Hawaiʻi via barge (fueled by more fossil fuels) to be burned. Furthermore, burning coal is responsible for one-third of the United States’ carbon emissions. It also produces more carbon dioxide and methane than any other energy source such as petroleum, Hawaiʻi’s other primary energy source. 

By state law, power plants in Hawaiʻi are required to decrease their emissions by 16% by 2020. Instead of investing in the reduction of emissions and/or ramping down their dirty production—the AES Hawaiʻi coal plant is banking on the success of other power plants and asking to use up other facilities’ emission quotas. 

This is unacceptable and is not a step in the right direction of closing this coal-fired plant. Hawaiian Electric Company and AES Hawaiʻi should instead be investing in clean, renewable, non-consumptive energy sources that are fueled by local resources—like solar. We need everyone to share their voice that Oʻahu wants to move away from coal, away from air pollution, and away from carbon emissions. 

Sierra Club members and supporters wearing masks to send a message that our communities don’t want to be exposed to more emissions and coal ash.

Sierra Club members and supporters wearing masks to send a message that our communities don’t want to be exposed to more emissions and coal ash.

In September 2019, the Hawaiʻi Department of Health held their public meeting to hear the communities concerns over increased greenhouse gas emissions in their backyard. Over 50 people attended the meeting and dozens testified, calling on the department to stop Hawaiʻi’s last coal plant from increasing their carbon emissions.

Our message was delivered loud and clear:

  • Coal ash is dangerous to our community’s health

  • Carbon and other emissions lead to respiratory issues, and

  • Minimal cost savings for corporations are not worth polluting our communities.

The Sierra Club of Hawaiʻi requested a contested case in regards to this practice of “sharing” greenhouse gas emissions. You can read our request here.

Then, in May 2020, the Sierra Club of Hawaiʻi filed a lawsuit calling on the state court to require the Department of Health make AES reduce its carbon dioxide emissions as mandated by state law. In response, AES Hawaiʻi quickly released a statement agreeing that it would reduce its emissions. No formal plan has yet been released, rest assured we will see this emission reduction through.

Toxic Pollution

Not only is burning coal detrimental to the environment, it is damaging to public health. Coal combustion leads to as many as 13,000 premature deaths every year and more than $100 billion in annual health costs. In addition to CO2, burning coal produces:

  • Sulfur dioxide (SO2), which contributes to acid rain and respiratory illnesses

  • Nitrogen oxides (NOx), which contribute to smog and respiratory illnesses

  • Particulates, which contribute to smog, haze, and respiratory illnesses and lung disease

  • Carbon dioxide (CO2), which is the primary greenhouse gas produced from burning fossil fuels (coal, oil, and natural gas)

  • Mercury and other heavy metals, which have been linked to both neurological and developmental damage in humans and other animals

  • Fly ash and bottom ash, which are residues created when power plants burn coal

PVT

Coal ash from the AES plant is taken to the PVT Landfill in Nānākuli where it is used to blanket their day’s worth of trash. The ash is part of a mountainous stockpile of coal and other materials that were burned in the AES Hawaiʻi’s plant. Coal ash has a series of toxic chemicals in it like arsenic, lead, and heavy metals and studies show breathing in coal ash increases the risk of cancer. Nearby residents and businesses complain that AES isn’t doing enough to contain the coal ash, forcing workers to breathe in the material. 

This concentration of waste and power plants is creating a public health crisis for workers and residents. The PVT Landfill is only 750 feet from residential areas and schools. Many suffer from respiratory illnesses and migraines, and U.S Census data demonstrates that the life expectancy in this area is ten years less than the state average.

We are working with Waiʻanae Coast residents to get these polluters out of their backyards. Part of this work includes supporting the Nānākuli Community against the expansion of the PVT Landfill and urging that awful polluters relocate to an isolated area so no one has to deal with living in close proximity to hazardous toxins.

Shutting down the AES coal plant and ending coal energy production in Hawaiʻi is beneficial to the environment and our people. Transitioning to renewable energy sources and battery storage will create cleaner air, contribute less to climate change, and provide stable, clean jobs for local people. 

It is time for clean energy sources and protecting the health of the people not the profits of industry.