Bioenergy comes from organic materials (anything that used to be alive or part of a living thing: leaves, branches, wood chips, paper, algae, manure). Biomass can be used to produce electricity; can be converted into liquid fuels (called “biofuels”); or can be burned to produce heat for cooking or other uses (such as wood in a barbecue grill).

Biomass
Biomass is plant and animal matter, including energy crops, wood, grasses, algae, vegetable oils, and agricultural and municipal wastes.

Biofuels
Biofuels are liquid fuels made from biomass. As defined in Chapter 486J-1 of the Hawaii Revised Statutes, “Biofuels means liquid or gaseous fuels produced from organic sources such as biomass crops, agricultural residues, and oil crops, such as palm oil, canola oil, soybean oil, waste cooking oil, grease, and food wastes, animal residues and wastes, and sewage and landfill wastes.”

They include:

• Ethanol
• Biodiesel
• Bio-based diesel fuel (also known as green diesel)
• Bio-based gasoline (also known as green gasoline)
• Bio-based jet fuel (including hydrotreated renewable jet and alcohol-to-jet)
• Bio-based pyrolysis oils
• Hydrogen (from biomass sources)

 

For additional information:

• Hawaii State Energy Office Publications  (Biofuels/Biomass tab)
• Database of State Incentives for Renewable Energy
  Searchable online databases of all state, utility and local level financial incentives, rules, policies and programs for renewable energy. Regularly updated, with contact information and links.
• HawaiiGas
  Hawaii’s utility gas company has begun to produce a limited amount of Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) from renewable feedstock such as animal fats and plant oils.
• Hawaiian Electric Company
  Electricity provider for 95% of Hawaii’s population, serving all islands except Kauai. The Competitive Bidding for News Generation page has information on current and upcoming renewable energy purchases and solicitations.
• Kauai Island Utility Cooperative
  Information on Kauai’s electricity
• National Renewable Energy Laboratory
  Information and analysis of renewable energy technologies, policies, and costs.
• U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
  Information on biofuel technologies

For more information on Hawaii’s energy sector and progress in the areas of energy efficiency, renewable energy, and clean transportation, download the 2020 Hawaii’s Energy Facts & Figures (PDF).

 

Please note that we do not necessarily verify, endorse or agree with statements or opinions presented on the listed sites. Links are provided to sites that appeared to provide information, present additional perspectives, or lead to further discussion on this or related topics.