LNG Need Not Apply: The Math of Oʻahu’s Clean Energy Future - CleanTechnica

The article from CleanTechnica argues against the adoption of liquefied natural gas (LNG) as a bridge fuel for Oʻahu’s clean energy future, emphasizing that LNG’s perceived benefits are based on an outdated comparison. Rather than comparing LNG to the current oil-heavy grid, the article insists the real comparison should be between LNG and a fully electrified, solar-powered, battery-rich, and demand-managed energy system tailored to Oʻahu’s actual domestic energy needs after removing non-civilian uses like aviation, shipping, and military consumption. This approach reveals that the island’s useful energy demand is about 6,000 GWh annually, significantly smaller than the primary fossil energy flows previously used, and that fully electrified systems drastically reduce the need for combustible fuels. Oʻahu is highlighted as the most challenging case for Hawaiʻi’s energy transition due to its large population, complex load profile, and lack of geothermal resources. The article stresses that LNG only seems necessary if one clings to