A number of critical bills died this legislative session in conference committee. One of them was a bill that would have expanded geothermal energy — one of Hawaii’s most overlooked but promising renewable resources.
What is shocking is that after gathering robust support as it advanced through both chambers, it died at the 11th hour in conference committee — with an assist from Rep. Nicole Lowen (D-West Hawaii), chair of the Hawaii House Committee on Energy and Environmental Protection.
Lowen has the kind of academic pedigree that seems to fit the role she was given. She earned a degree in U.S. history from the University of Pennsylvania, a master’s in urban and regional planning from the University of Hawaii at Manoa, and a certificate in disaster management. These are credentials that seem to qualify her to lead.
So, it is hard to understand the politics of this action. There was no good reason to kill the bill. It was a disservice to the environment, and it let down her constituents who desperately need relief from very high energy prices.
History teaches us that national prosperity has always been powered by bold energy infrastructure: rural electrification, the interstate highway system, and more recently, the internet. Energy independence and innovation have always underpinned America’s progress.
Hawaii has the opportunity to achieve energy independence and stimulate economic development by harnessing the volcanic energy beneath our feet. So, voters have a right to ask why Lowen sidelined geothermal. Meanwhile, advocacy for liquefied natural gas (LNG), an imported fossil fuel that ties us to foreign supply chains and price volatility continues.
As a student of history, Lowen surely knew that this amounted to a rejection of the very kind of transformational infrastructure that has always been necessary for progress.
As a trained urban planner, Lowen had been schooled in systems thinking and local resilience. Planning emphasizes decentralization, sustainability, and long-term vision. Rejecting geothermal — a 24/7 clean baseload source — while the Governor pushes for LNG contradicts all those principles.
LNG infrastructure is highly vulnerable to sea-level rise and hurricanes. It requires port facilities, pipelines, and tankers — all at great cost and risk. It does nothing to reduce our dependence on imported energy.
Geothermal, by contrast, is local, stable and always on.
Despite having studied disaster management, a field rooted in reducing risk and building system resilience, Lowen blocked a bill that would have done exactly that. Meanwhile the governor argues for a fuel source that increases our vulnerability to global crises, invoking LNG as “some form of bridge between now and 2045.”
LNG depends on shipping lanes, geopolitics, and long-distance logistics. The next disaster — a hurricane, war, or pandemic — could sever these connections overnight. Investing in LNG today is gambling with tomorrow’s stability.
Disaster management is about preparing for worst-case scenarios. Killing the geothermal bill was a blow to Hawaii’s efforts to be better prepared for disasters.
Let’s be clear: This geothermal bill didn’t quietly fail. It was actively buried by an elected official who is familiar with the challenges we face.
It’s fair to ask who benefits from this action.
Not families struggling under the nation’s highest electricity rates.
Not Native Hawaiians who need what culturally aligned, locally owned energy can make possible.
Not the environment. LNG’s methane emissions make it among the most harmful fuels on the planet.
The decision to sideline the bill shows a deeply disappointing lack of long-term vision.
Voters have every right to be aghast and frankly puzzled. Rep. Nicole Lowen had every opportunity to lead boldly. She had the education. She had the credentials. She had the power.
She could have advanced one of the most promising clean energy opportunities Hawaii has ever had. But she chose not to.
If we are to build a truly resilient future, we need leaders who have a better grasp of what their kuleana is and who understand that people should take priority over the fossil fuel industry.
Rep. Lowen could have done better. Perhaps she still will.
Bruce Barham is a U.S. Army veteran who moved to Hawaii in 1969 and graduated from Radford High School in 1972. He is married to a Native Hawaiian and has two children and two grandchildren. He has worked for 30 years in local television. He believes geothermal is essential to the well-being of future generations.
