Hawaii recently shut down its last coal-powered electricity plant, a step forward in the state’s effort to adopt more renewable energy sources and use less fossil fuels such as coal and oil.
The plant, owned by AES Corporation, had operated for 30 years. It generated up to 20% of the electricity on the island of Oahu, which has the highest population in Hawaii. There are around 1.5 million people living in the state.
Hawaii’s Legislature passed a law in 2020, banning the use of coal for energy generation by the beginning of 2023. The state also set the goal to use 100% renewable energy by 2045. It was the first state to make such a goal.
