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Led by Waikā – Driving Positive Change
The Pathways for Progress (P4P) Campaign is proudly led by Waika, a community-rooted organization dedicated to uplifting people, protecting culture, and creating a more sustainable future for Hawai‘i. While Waikā serves as the driving force behind this initiative, the focus of the P4P website remains on the goals, partnerships, and opportunities that shape the campaign’s impact.
At its core, P4P is about building connections — between people, traditions, and future possibilities. By empowering local voices and promoting forward-thinking solutions, the campaign aims to spark real transformation across Hawaiian communities. Through collaboration, education, and advocacy, Waikā continues to champion efforts that honor the past while paving new pathways forward.
We invite you to learn more about the broader mission and ongoing work of Waikā by visiting their official website:
The Kīlauea East Rift Zone is the only region developed for geothermal energyin Hawai‘i, and has all the attributes necessary for energy generation,according to the Hawai‘i State Energy Office. Geothermal development inHawai‘i started in the 1970s, when the University of Hawai‘i drilled an experimental well (HGP-A) in the Kīlauea East Rift Zone in 1976 that grew into a small-scale power plant in the 1980s. Since 1993, Puna Geothermal Venture (PGV) has operated Hawai‘i’s only geothermal power plant nearby with a 38 MW contract capacity, although its production was temporarily interrupted following the 2018 eruption of Kīlauea. Production resumed after safeguards were put in place. Geothermal technology continues to advance, making it safe and reliable.
Geothermal energy is common around volcanic activity and tectonic plates in the Pacific,where hot magma is found near the earth’s surface. U.S. geothermal power plants aremostly located in the West and Hawai‘i. According to a 2021 report by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), California and Nevada contribute more than 90% of U.S. geothermal power generation, with additional contributions from plants in Alaska, Hawai‘i, Idaho, New Mexico, Oregon, and Utah.
In Hawai‘i, geothermal energy is an indigenous resource owned by the public and Native Hawaiians.
Geothermal power is a firm, reliable source of naturally occurring energy. With low emissions, geothermal power reduces Hawai‘i’s reliance on imported fossil fuels. Geothermal development can support Native Hawaiian communities, enhance local economic opportunities, and lower energy costs. Geothermal energy can also be used to produce hydrogen, which has uses in a variety of key industries.
Unlike intermittent renewable sources of energy that are subject to weather conditions and other variables, geothermal power is available consistently, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, all year around, making it a firm, reliable and costeffective, locally available baseload power source that can replace fossil fuel and stabilize the grid.
The Kīlauea East Rift Zone is the only region developed for geothermal energyin Hawai‘i, and has all the attributes necessary for energy generation,according to the Hawai‘i State Energy Office. Geothermal development inHawai‘i started in the 1970s, when the University of Hawai‘i drilled an experimental well (HGP-A) in the Kīlauea East Rift Zone in 1976 that grew into a small-scale power plant in the 1980s. Since 1993, Puna Geothermal Venture (PGV) has operated Hawai‘i’s only geothermal power plant nearby with a 38 MW contract capacity, although its production was temporarily interrupted following the 2018 eruption of Kīlauea. Production resumed after safeguards were put in place. Geothermal technology continues to advance, making it safe and reliable.
Oil and coal imports make up over 80% of all energy used in Hawai‘i forelectricity and transportation, according to Hawaiian Electric – this accountsfor the state ranking the highest in the U.S. for its average electricity pricesand energy insecurity. In 2024, the percentage of Hawaiian Electric generationfrom renewable energy was 30.8% onO‘ahu, 41.1% on Maui, and 58.7% on Hawai‘iIsland. Geothermal accounted for just 19.1% of the total system generation mixon Hawai‘i Island.
Geothermal power plants have low emission levels. Geothermal power plantsemit 97% less acid rain-causing sulfurcompounds and about 99% less carbondioxide than the equivalent firm, baseload fossil fuel power plants of similarsize, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
Geothermal plants reinject most of the geothermal steam and water that theyuse back into the earth – this varies depending on which technology is chosen,helping renew the geothermal resource and reduce emissions. In additionscrubbers and other technology at geothermal power plants help removehydrogen sulfide that occurs naturally in geothermal reservoirs and manageother non-condensable gases. Due to the highly centralized nature ofgeothermal resource development, the environmental impact of plants can bereduced to an acceptable level, according to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.
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