Lawmakers showed support for geothermal power on Hawaiian Home Lands this week.
Geothermal power harnesses heat energy from the earth to produce electricity. It's one of the top renewable energy sources serving Hawaiʻi Island's grid, according to Hawaiian Electric.
Senate Bill 2650 would set aside funds to continue the exploration of geothermal hot spots on lands overseen by DHHL.
The bill passed its first hearing with support from DHHL, the Hawaiʻi State Energy Office and HECO.
In 2022, lawmakers gave DHHL half a million dollars to look into geothermal resources on its lands. SB2650 would appropriate another $6 million to continue that work.
Hawaiian Homes Commission Chairman Kali Watson expressed strong support for the bill in written testimony, stating that it could "allow for the DHHL to generate, transmit, or produce electricity and renewable energy resources on Hawaiian Home Lands."
