Gov. Neil Abercrombie stressed the need for Hawaii to move toward liquefied natural gas to reduce energy costs during his State of the State speech on Tuesday. 

In case you missed it, this is what he said: 

But along the way, we are facing financing hurdles and policy obstacles that require us to look not only at renewable energies, but current alternative energy sources that are available now. One of those is Liquefied Natural Gas or LNG. This is a resource that would allow us to purchase fuel from American sources, and not be reliant upon foreign sources, friendly or otherwise.

LNG will reduce energy costs, and reduce our carbon footprint because the resource is abundant, available, and the technology exists for us to use it now.

Our state, our residents, our constituents, our businesses and communities need relief. To do nothing puts everyone in the state at risk. Empty rhetoric and magical thinking avoids the question.

The data is clear; embarking on a path to LNG will result in long-term avoided costs – whether those costs are mandated improvements to utility facilities or imported low-sulfur fossil fuels at exponentially growing prices. The energy storm is on Hawaii’s horizon. Will we take the necessary steps to weather it?

I ask the Legislature to move forward with us. There is no time to lose.

Last year, his comments about LNG caught many off guard and rankled environmental and clean energy groups. 

Image: Fletcher6/Wikimedia Commons