Most people acquainted with Hawaii’s energy sector know that Rep. Cynthia Thielen is an enthusiastic backer of wave energy.

While the technology remains pre-commercial, Thielen announced in a press release Thursday that Hawaii’s wave energy resources are substantial and could supply a significant portion of the state’s energy needs. Her conclusions are based on a recent report by the Department of Energy. 

You can read the report here. 

According to Thielen:

I see wave energy as a positive investment that could move Hawaii’s energy supply away from petroleum, create new jobs, and decrease our State’s greenhouse gas emissions.

She notes that the marine corps base in Kaneohe is constructing a “wave hub” that will allow companies to “pay to ‘plug in’ and test their wave energy converters.”

The State of Hawaii should follow MCBH’s lead regarding the adoption of wave energy technologies to harness Hawaii’s rich ocean resource to energize its grid.