The close of a decade is a time for reflection. We at Blue Planet Foundation are encouraged by the tremendous clean energy progress Hawaii has made over the past 10 years. While we have a long way to go to achieve our climate goals, let’s take inventory of our collective successes.

1. Power to the people. Hawaii leads the nation on the number of homes with rooftop solar. The local solar industry has employed thousands while working with the electric utility on technology break- throughs to enable even more decentralized, resilient power.

2. 100% renewable. Hawaii was the first state in the nation with a requirement for 100% renewable energy. When Blue Planet first advocated for the goal in 2013, the effort was criticized as “magical thinking.” Today it’s law, and we’re learning we can achieve 100% renewable faster and cheaper than we ever thought. This year, the Kauai Island Utility Cooperative ran the island on nothing but renewable energy for several hours a day over a period of several days.

3. Doing more with less. The cleanest and cheapest energy is the energy we don’t use. Electricity sales per utility customer dropped an average of 14% since 2009. Much of the energy savings came from Hawaii Energy’s efficiency programs, advances in lighting and appliance technologies, and smart behavior changes.

4. Big gas did not pass. Despite a broad push by the gas and electric utilities to import large quantities of dirty natural gas, Hawaii said no. It was the right call. Renewable energy now beats natural gas on price — without changing the climate.

5. Cleaner mobility. Hawaii has added new bike lanes, a bikeshare program in Honolulu, and 10,000 electric vehicles. Residents have increasing options to get around without leaving a large carbon footprint. Unfortunately, over the past 10 years, gasoline use grew 11% — to half a billion gallons this year. We need new policies to support zero emissions transportation.

6. Cheap renewables. Since 2010, the global average cost for solar energy fell about 80% and the cost for battery storage dropped nearly 90%. This is a game-changer for Hawaii. Recent utility contracts for solar with storage saw prices as low as eight cents per kilowatt-hour—far less than oil-powered electricity.

7. Clean energy for all. Nobody should be left behind on our journey to 100% clean energy. That’s why Blue Planet advocated for “on-bill financing” for solar and efficiency in 2011, the Green Energy Market Securitization (GEMS) program in 2014, and community renewables in 2015. These programs are helping to make clean energy accessible for all.

8. Growing awareness. We are talking about climate and clean energy more than ever. This is partly because we are experiencing the consequences of climate change, like last summer’s record-shattering high temperatures. But we are also more engaged in solutions, as illustrated by the We Are 100 initiative (weare100.org).

9. Youth awakening. Greta Thunberg may be the one on the cover of TIME magazine, but a growing number of Hawaii youth are doing their part. In 2019, Blue Planet’s fifth annual Student Energy Summit drew nearly 250 students, including the first team from Japan. We also launched our Climate Crew program to equip local youth with tools to be effective change agents in our changing world.

10. Hawaii’s growing influence. Three years after Hawaii passed its 100% renewable mandate, California followed suit, setting the same target year of 2045. Five states and territories have since jumped on board with similar 100% carbon-free commitments.

While we’ve laid the groundwork for our clean energy future, the next decade will be decisive. Ensuring hope for a livable future means slashing our carbon emissions in half by 2030. This will take collective courage. And Hawaii can lead the way.

Jeff Mikulina is executive director and Melissa Miyashiro is managing director of the Blue Planet Foundation.