A decade ago, the Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative put Hawaii on the map as a leader in the global shift toward renewable energy. Now, a new report called “Transcending Oil” shows how far we’ve come and examines how to move forward. It tells us we have done well, that we can move faster; and the faster we move, the cheaper it could be for our islands.

Since 2008, Hawaii proved that bold policies can open markets for new technologies and business models. A future of 100 percent renewable energy in our electricity sector is mandated by law. No other state has been as bold, though others are starting to follow. The mandate, combined with market demand for lower and stable energy costs, spurred innovation in the production and reliable integration of renewable energy into our grid.

In the process, Hawaii has become a prime laboratory for renewable energy innovation, providing new opportunity and higher paying jobs for homegrown talent, and attracting companies, entrepreneurs, and talent to Hawaii in the search for solutions. As a result, Hawaiian Electric is recognized as a global leader in integrating renewables into the grid. It is a great example of how Hawaii can grow our innovation economy.

The Transcending Oil report, conducted by Rhodium Group and commissioned by Hawaii-based nonprofit Elemental Excelerator, details our progress and the challenges and benefits of a faster shift to renewable energy in Hawaii’s electricity and ground transportation sectors.

It concludes that a determined effort to accelerate our transition can lower our energy costs compared to our current outlook, create even more high-paying jobs, and realize the environmental benefits so important to preserving our special natural environment.

The report details policy recommendations, including new mandates. Given the complexity, we (the authors of this commentary) are not qualified to judge that these steps are the best. But we can judge that they provoke the questions that our community should answer in a way that is best for Hawaii.

Our quest for a sustainable future calls for the collaboration and shared kuleana that makes our culture strong and helps our families thrive. The Kahauiki Village project for families experiencing homelessness demonstrates how new thinking and courageous leadership can overcome long-perceived barriers and connect with our ancestral past to find answers for the future.

Solving the electricity cost challenge was a key element of the project. Kahauiki exists on an independent grid that handles all the residents’ needs — not just because it is better for the environment, but because the solar panels and battery storage, with federal tax credits, make the cost of power competitive with conventional energy. In the long run, we expect costs will be more stable and cheaper than conventional power.

There were other difficult issues. We came together around Kahauiki because our homelessness crisis is not the lone responsibility of the social services sector. We did it not by mandate, but by a shared commitment to find a sustainable solution to a critical community issue.

Similarly, we must come together around energy transformation because we all share the kuleana to break our dependence on imported fossil fuels, reduce and contain cost volatility, create sustainable job opportunities for our keiki, and grow our economy.

Innovation and collaboration are already moving us forward. Startups like Kunoa Cattle Company, Smart Yields and Carbon Lighthouse, together with public-private partnerships such as Kahauiki Village, show us how innovation and business are intersecting to create real, measurable change for Hawaii.

We all have a stake in a future that is clean, resilient and thriving for all of us. How will you contribute to the conversation?

Rich Wacker is president and CEO of American Savings Bank; Duane Kurisu is CEO of aio, whose foundation partnered with government on Kahauiki Village.