On a rural Hawaiian island, solar provides a path to energy sovereignty

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🗞️ Driving the news: Molokaʻi, a rural Hawaiian island, is advancing towards energy sovereignty through community-driven solar initiatives
• The Molokaʻi Community Energy Resilience Action Plan, supported by local efforts like the Hoʻāhu Energy Cooperative, aims to replace fossil fuels with solar power, establishing microgrids and battery storage systems to provide reliable and affordable electricity

🔭 The context: Molokaʻi residents, historically underserved and often off-grid, face high energy costs and limited access to utilities
• The community's shift to solar, fueled by a desire for self-determination and energy equity, is rooted in a broader movement for Native Hawaiian sovereignty and environmental stewardship

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: This transition to renewable energy reduces reliance on imported fossil fuels, lowers greenhouse gas emissions, and serves as a model for sustainable, community-led energy solutions, especially in remote and rural areas

⏭️ What's next: The cooperative plans to expand its solar projects, including the installation of 15 nanogrids, and is developing a local workforce to sustain these efforts
• The initiative could stabilize energy costs and promote economic self-sufficiency through clean tech jobs

💬 One quote: "We are taking control of our own destiny as a grassroots cooperative, as a people, as an island, to care for our own resources," said Lori Buchanan, a founding board member of the Hoʻāhu Energy Cooperative

📈 One stat: The two current solar projects are expected to supply 20% of Molokaʻi’s electricity, benefiting around 1,500 households

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