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Hawai'i Skies

Today's Hawai‘i Skies was captured by Craig Washofsky at Kailua Beach. "

To submit your Hawai'i Skies photo, visit us 

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26 1 12 Craig Washofsky

<title>Hawai‘i Skies: Sunrise to start the day</title>

Today's Hawai‘i Skies was captured by Craig Washofsky at Kailua Beach.

Hawai‘i Skies: Sunrise to start the day

Today&#039;s Hawai‘i Skies was captured by Craig Washofsky at Kailua Beach. &quot;What a great way to start the day!&quot; To submit your Hawai&#039;i Skies photo, visit us online or email: general@alohastatedaily.com For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up here for our free Daily Edition newsletter.

Square Mike Brestovansky Headshot RGZ3736 Large

Michael Brestovansky

Government & Politics

A proposal to build the Thirty Meter Telescope on the former site of another observatory is “feasible,” said a TMT project leader last week.

Last October, Gov. Josh Green and all four of the state’s Congressional delegates signed 

 urging leaders of the TMT project to consider shifting the construction of the controversial observatory to another site on Mauna Kea’s summit.

The letter cited “the Hawai‘i community’s request” to instead build TMT on the site of a decommissioned observatory, rather than disturbing a previously untouched piece of summit land, as the plan has been so far. The letter’s signatories assured that they would work with the Mauna Kea Stewardship and Oversight Authority and the University of Hawai‘i to develop a process for securing the permits necessary for such a shift.

, TMT project manager Fengchuan Liu told the board that the project could still work if it was shifted to the former site of the Caltech Submillimeter Observatory, which was fully dismantled in 2024. The CSO, first activated in 1986, was selected for decommissioning as part of the terms for TMT to receive a permit; the University of Hawai‘i needed to commit to close five existing telescopes by 2033.

“We on the project have taken a preliminary look at this issue from the technical side, scientifically, engineering-wise, and we believe it is feasible to build on the CSO site,” Liu said.

Liu said there are size differences between TMT and CSO: TMT’s 

, including the observatory dome, support buildings and parking area is roughly five acres, while CSO 

Nonetheless, Liu reiterated that moving the site to the former CSO location could conceivably be done. He suggested that the observatory’s support facility — used to recoat the TMT’s primary mirror segments — could be moved off the mountain to a location at sea level. Liu said this would introduce a logistical burden to the telescope’s operation, but would reduce the observatory’s footprint.

However, the logistics of such a move are still unclear, Liu said. He told the board he does not know whether the process would require new conservation district use permits or new environmental impact studies, and said the TMT’s own board would also need to sign off on the change.

Liu added that the change in site would also introduce minor variances in the observatory’s functionality: he said the CSO location is in a valley lower than most other summit observatories, causing different wind patterns that could impact the telescope’s imaging, although he believes those impacts can be mitigated.

By the same token, Liu said the lower site would also make the facility less visible from around the island than its proposed higher-elevation site.

While there was no public testimony on the matter at last week’s meeting, the board’s discussion last November of Green’s letter drew hundreds of pages of testimony, largely in opposition to the TMT project in general, relocated or otherwise.

One way or another, the future of the project remains unclear. The National Science Foundation announced in 2024 that it could only realistically fund one of two proposed telescopes as part of a “U.S. Extremely Large Telescope” project — either TMT or the Giant Magellan Telescope in Chile.

 last year that it had removed TMT from consideration — punching a $1.6 billion hole in the observatory’s budget — Congress passed 

 last month stipulating that the NSF advance both projects into final design review, although with no additional funding granted to either telescope.

 For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up 

ZOA 2023 7950 tio tmt 0018 16x9

<title>Thirty Meter Telescope could be moved, project leader says</title>

Controversial observatory could "feasibly" be moved to site of decommissioned facility elsewhere on Mauna Kea.

Thirty Meter Telescope could be moved, project leader says

Katie Helland Headshot

Katie Helland

Arts & Entertainment

 teamed up with Tree Moss Hawaiʻi and Nothing Without a Company to present Mana Wahine: A 24-Hour Play Festival, where six plays — written that weekend — were performed for a live audience on Sunday, April 12.

The event brought together 30 Hawaiʻi-based artists to create and perform six new 10-minute plays all created within a single 24-hour period. The works were created by six playwrights, six directors and 18 actors, who were sorted into teams and had to imagine, write and rehearse their plays before a final public performance.

“I wish more theaters did this or had these kinds of challenges, because it's so much fun,” said Wil Kahele, one of the playwrights who participated in the festival. “And you meet your other fellow thespians and directors and playwrights — and their families because they come to watch it at the end of the 24-hour festival. It's just cool.”

, who has appeared in “Hawaiʻi Five-0,” “Under the Blood-Red Sun,” “Haole," "Next Goal Wins” and more, according to his IMDb profile.

In this challenge, playwrights had to capture an entire story in just 10 minutes on stage, he added. When Kahele met the actors for this challenge, he asked what they do and do not like to do.

“Cause I don’t want to put kissing in my script, if you do not like to kiss,” Kahele said. “I’m not gonna put singing in my script if nobody knows how to sing or play an instrument, so you need to find out what everybody's strengths and weaknesses are.”

He also had to practice letting go, just like a parent, which is something he learned from 

“And then you just see what happens because every director, every actor is going to interpret your work differently,” Kahele said.

Also participating in the festival was Playwright Jeannie Barroga, who moved to Hilo in September after years of living in the Bay Area. She has written about 80 plays but “that doesn't mean they were all produced,” she said. In her early days, Barroga wrote a play each month.

“I just challenged myself to see if I could do that,” she said.

Now, a number of her plays are held in a collection at 

Barroga flew in from Hawaiʻi Island to participate in the festival. After meeting her team on Saturday, April 11, she wrote until 2:30 a.m., she said. The script had to be handed in by 7 a.m. on Sunday, April 12.

“Others wrote right up to the seven o'clock deadline, where we had to turn it in and they make copies,” she said.

By 8 a.m., teams started rehearsals. The show was performed to a live audience that evening. 

Barroga is part of Tree Moss Hawai‘i, a collective of Hawaiʻi playwrights who meet monthly to collaborate on projects and are focused on the development of new plays. The current cohort includes nine individuals, who call Hilo, Honolulu, New York and more, home. The hui is “especially interested in playwrights who share a unique perspective of Hawaiʻi through their writing,” according to its website.

Nothing Without a Company was the third partner in the festival and is a Chicago-based group that is bringing theatre to non-traditional spaces, such as bars, apartments, street corners, parks, alleyways, garages and more, according to its website. 

Looking to catch a show? Kumu Kahua Theatre has “Blu’s Hanging” on stage now, which is based on the coming-of-age novel by Lois-Ann Yamanaka. The story follows a 

, as he mourns the death of his wife and struggles to provide for their kids. The production runs Thursday to Sunday through April 26. Tickets start at $28, plus fees, and there are discounts for seniors and group orders. 

Kumu Kahua Theatre

<title>Hawaiʻi-based artists participate in 24-hour play festival</title>

More than 30 Hawaiʻi-based artists came together this past weekend to create six new plays, which were performed before a live audience at the end of the festival.

Hawaiʻi-based artists participate in 24-hour play festival

Arrasmith Portrait

Perry Arrasmith

Columnists

Since 1959, 16 people have served as Hawai‘i’s lieutenant governor. 

It’s a position without power that provides a path to power.

Where it often requires a great degree of name recognition to gain election and serves as a natural stepping stone to higher office, the position functions as a political incubator.

Per state law, candidates for both offices run separately in their respective party primaries. Once a candidate triumphs in each primary race, a party’s nominees for lieutenant governor and governor join forces on a single ticket for the general election.

When candidates have different priorities, philosophies, or personalities, it can create some politically tricky headaches. 

It’s a high-profile position with lots of paid staff and a big office on the fifth floor of the State Capitol. The lieutenant governor is effectively Hawai‘i’s equivalent of the U.S. vice presidency.

It’s also an office where political patience is a necessity. Once elected, successful candidates are often frustrated by the lack of actual authority. As a result, a discontented lieutenant governor can also serve as a source of conflict in the executive branch.

Those who become lieutenant governor are often from politically-influential roles in state politics. In a Faustian fashion, they may bargain away political power in order to gain a more prestigious office. 

It’s a huge gamble for any politician, but many still clamber to take the bet. 

Governors and lieutenant governors have a history of not getting along. When this happens, governors are left in a politically compromised position, while lieutenant governors stand to lose their political careers. 

For the first three decades of the State of Hawai‘i’s history, lieutenant governors frequently clashed with their governors. In fact, these clashes politically weakened governors, sewing chaos across the executive branch.

Political divisions between the governor and lieutenant governor destroyed the administration of Governor William Quinn. His lieutenant governor, James Kealoha, felt slighted by the lack of control over political appointments. The relationship soured, with Kealoha challenging Quinn in the 1962 primaries. Despite Keahola's defeat, the fractured GOP lacked the energy to defeat the Democratic Party's candidate, John A. Burns.

Burns was elected in 1962 alongside party ally William S. Richardson. Richardson, as his first lieutenant governor, was seen as a potential successor. However, the sudden resignation of the Hawai‘i Supreme Court Chief Justice Wilfred Tsukiyama created a unique opportunity for Burns. Richardson, instead of continuing as lieutenant governor, was elevated as chief justice. A technocrat, Andrew Ing, temporarily served as lieutenant governor for a year. 

Even so, Burns had trouble finding a loyal lieutenant governor to succeed him. He tried to get Kenneth Brown elected to the position in 1966, but voters didn’t warm to this hand-picked successor. Instead, Burns was saddled with former U.S. Congressman Tom Gill. Gill and Burns were of different political temperaments. Their inability to get along led to another politically brutal fight at the ballot box in 1970, where Lieutenant Governor Gill nearly ousted Burns. 

Luckily for Burns, he triumphed. A new candidate for lieutenant governor, George Ariyoshi, was tapped to succeed Burns. Unlike Gill, Ariyoshi was neither outspoken nor abrasive. When Burns became incapacitated in 1973 by an accelerating cancer, the silent Ariyoshi rose to power as governor.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"The Case for Abolition"}]

Like Quinn and Burns, Ariyoshi struggled to settle on a stable lieutenant governor in his administration. His first lieutenant governor, Nelson Doi, was part of Tom Gill’s political faction and refused to serve more than a single term.

Ironically, Doi also became an outspoken critic of the lieutenant governor’s office. He called for its outright abolition at the 1978 Constitutional Convention. 

Doi was burnt out from the position, so he ditched the boredom and political stability of the position after one term to return to the Big Island. It’s a bit odd, as he could have stayed in office, bided his time, and eventually run for governor in 1986. 

That never happened. Instead, Doi was succeeded by another political upstart, Jean King. Like Doi, King did not care for the Ariyoshi administration and directly challenged Ariyoshi in the 1982 primaries, narrowly losing to the two-term governor. It was a fight akin to the duel between Burns and Gill in 1970.

At this point, the next lieutenant governor appeared to be hesitant about opposing Ariyoshi. John Waihe‘e, a former delegate to the 1978 Constitutional Convention (which had limited governors to serving no more than two full terms) and legislator, set out to wait four years before running for governor. 

Waihe‘e won in his race for governor in 1986. From this point onwards, lieutenant governors no longer ran against incumbent governors in an election. 

Throughout Waihe‘e’s tenure, Benjamin Cayetano sat quietly as lieutenant governor. Arguably, his tenure set the stage for the contemporary, two-term lieutenant governor who had (until recently) dominated Hawai‘i’s political landscape.

Cayetano, like his eventual successors Mazie Hirono and James ‘Duke’ Aiona, played a largely quiet, supporting role to his governor. In Cayetano’s case, the reward was his own two-term tenure as governor. Neither Hirono nor Aiona got the same opportunity.

The Return of Temporary Lieutenant Governors

Since 2010, no lieutenant governor has served in office for a full two terms. If voters re-elect incumbent Lieutenant Governor Sylvia Luke in 2026, she could break that trend. 

Governor Abercrombie had two lieutenant governors. Shan Tsutsui, the former Senate President who also served as lieutenant governor under Governor David Ige, quit midway through his term. Ige also had three lieutenant governors, with then-state senator Josh Green serving throughout Ige’s final term.

As was the case with Waihe‘e’s single term as lieutenant governor, Green’s tenure positioned him to run for governor in 2022. It’s a situation whose calculus parallels Kaua‘i County Mayor Derek Kawakami’s own situation in 2026. If he manages to win the 2022 primary for lieutenant governor, he’ll be set to run for governor in four years. 

One out of every four of those lieutenant governors used the office as a stepping stone to the governor's seat. Hawai‘i’s two U.S. Senators, Brian Schatz and Mazie Hirono, also served time in the position. 

Keeping a lieutenant governor happy often benefits the governor. Governors Quinn, Burns, and Ariyoshi faced challenges from their lieutenant governors. Ige could have arguably faced a challenge in 2018 from then-Lieutenant Governor Shan Tsutsui, but no such challenge ever came. In an unprecedented move, Tsutsui instead resigned to enter the private sector.

In turn, working with the governor as a lieutenant governor is politically advantageous. George Ariyoshi, John Waihe‘e, and Josh Green served as lieutenant governor for only a single term without serious squabbles with their governors.

Through their own initiatives, lieutenant governors can stay busy without bothering the governor. Lieutenant Governor Luke, for instance, has focused on 

. Other lieutenant governors took the same approach, finding policy priorities often ignored by the governor. Cayetano focused on afterschool programs for students, while Green focused on ending homelessness. 

Luke’s peaceful tenure as lieutenant governor has been shaken in 2026 as a result of her 

 that she might be the target of federal—and now state—investigations into her campaign contributions. The admission followed an 

 in late January by Hawai‘i Attorney General Anne Lopez that her office would share evidence with federal authorities. 

It’s all to say that a lieutenant governor occupies a precarious place in Hawai‘i’s political landscape. It’s a position of little political power that positions the politically ambitious for office as a governor. 

If mismanaged, however, lieutenant governors may find themselves forgotten. That’s simply part of the political bet.

Nelson Doi Tom Gill 16x9

<title>What’s in a Lieutenant Governor? </title>

Some of Hawai‘i's Lieutenant Governors have launched bigger political careers from the position, some faded in obscurity, and a number them clashed with their governors. One even quit halfway through his term to go back to private industry. Here are the names that made history in the statehood era.

What’s in a Lieutenant Governor? 

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta Headshot

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta

Food & Dining

First things first: The “missing grass shack” 

 that Sumida Farm posted on April 1 was an April Fool

’s joke. The shack is not lost and is still present at the ‘Aiea farm, according to general manager Kyle Suzuki.

“It was a good reminder that the farm and the shack won’t necessarily be here forever,” he says. “We are here because of the support of the community.”

While the farms didn’t suffer as much damage as others following the Kona Low storms in March, 

Sumida Farm’s watercress was definitely impacted

, according to Suzuki. He explains that watercress season typically starts in March, but with the constant heavy rain and little sunshine last month, the season was delayed.

“The reality is, with the Kona Low storms, it did stunt the growth of our watercress,” Suzuki says. “Too much rain means not enough sun. This year, we are four to six weeks later; it (watercress season) will run into June. This year will be a little shorter than normal. Watercress growth depends on heat, humidity and weather.”

While the farm does have watercress now, Suzuki says that within the next few weeks, its fields should be full. To celebrate the start of watercress season this month, Sumida Farm is launching a variety of different collaborations:

Please Come Again: Watercress ginger lime sorbet

Sumida Farm partnered with the Kailua-based ice cream shop last year to create this flavor. It was a hit with customers, so 

“Sumida Farm chef Elijah Madayag made a watercress ginger lime syrup, and they turned it into a sorbet,” Suzuki says. “You taste the watercress, but it has a sweetness; the bite pairs well with the lime and ginger. It was a popular flavor for Please Come Again last year, so we’re excited to have that again this year.”

The watercress ginger lime sorbet will be at Please Come Again while supplies last.

Restaurant collabs: Tali's Bagels, Alan Wong's at The Kāhala and more 

Several Oʻahu restaurants are incorporating Sumida Farm watercress in their menus. Watercress is featured in a variety of permanent dishes, along with seasonal specials.

Tali’s Bagels launched a Passover-related special that featured watercress in a bread-free meal alternative. Its seasonal bitter herb salad ($15) is a Seder inspired salad made with Sumida Farm watercress and Waialua Growers parsley. It’s topped with housemade pomegranate horseradish dressing, seasoned matzo croutons, ponzu pickled eggs, beets and pomegranate seeds.

“They said during Passover, a symbolic component is bitter, leafy greens,” Suzuki explains. “They paired our watercress with ponzu pickled eggs and baked croutons.”

While the salad is only available until April 12, starting April 15, Tali’s Bagels will run another watercress-inspired special. The Sumida Schmear will be available through watercress season, and the vegan-friendly schmear is inspired by tofu watercress salad.

“Instead of cream cheese, they’re going to use a tofu spread,” Suzuki says. “It’s our tofu watercress salad in spreadable form. It will be available at Tali’s Bagels Ward and Kailua locations through the month of April.”

officially opened to the public at The Kāhala Hotel & Resort

, also features Sumida Farm watercress in one of its salads.

“We have a longtime relationship with chef Alan Wong,” Suzuki says. “We’re so fortunate he continues to highlight local farms. He’s highlighting our Sumida Farm Leko — our younger varietal — in his kalua pig Caesar salad. That’s really exciting that he has that on his opening menu; we’re really excited to have him feature it.”

Chinatown-based O’kims Korean Kitchen is featuring Sumida Farm watercress in its meat jun, which is an April special.

“They used so much watercress last year,” Suzuki says. “I remember when we met with chef, and she ended adding watercress to almost everything on her menu last watercress season.”

Other eateries using watercress include Kailua-based Faria — the eatery recently ran a roasted bone marrow special with watercress “milho verde,” according to Suzuki — and Breadshop in Kaimukī.

Faria's bone marrow was served on a bed of lemon-herb watercress salad. The restaurant told Suzuki it was a huge hit with their customers.

“It was an honor to have them think about using our watercress,” Suzuki says.

“Every once in a while, Breadshop drops their watercress goat cheese Danish,” he adds. “It’s always in limited quantities. It’s an interesting, savory way to create a Danish with our watercress.”

Aside from restaurant collabs, the farm recently did a kokedama collaboration with Momo Terrascapes. (Kokedama translates to “moss ball” in Japanese, and features a gardening art form.)

Sumida Farm invited Chase Hamano from Momo Terrascapes to visit the farm, and he wanted to make something inspired by the farm and its field workers.

“It’s just a fun, different way to collab during watercress season,” Suzuki says. “We love partnering with restaurants and chefs; that’s the best way to enjoy our watercress — to eat it. We love to have artists and creators out to visit, so they can bring their creativity to tell stories about our farm, too.”

Suzuki says that within the next few weeks, watercress should be easier to find in grocery stores.

“Every year is a little different,” he says. “This year has been an exceptional year in how wet it’s been. But we feel very fortunate that, despite being slowed down, that we can still farm and grow watercress and get it out to the community.”

Sumida Farms farm picture 040926

<title>Sumida Farm launches collabs to celebrate watercress season</title>

The farm's watercress season was delayed as a result of heavy rains from the Kona Low storms in March. Sumida Farm is celebrating the start of watercress season this month with a series of collaborations with other local businesses.

Sumida Farm launches collabs to celebrate watercress season

Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros Headshot

Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros

Aloha Spirit

Maui County’s Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) will be asking for input from residents about plans for a new fieldhouse and community center in West Maui.

“The Department of Parks and Recreation is continuing recovery efforts in the Lahaina community, which includes rebuilding and enhancing public spaces,” officials told Aloha State Daily by email. “Developing a site plan now allows the County to thoughtfully incorporate community needs, including features like improved shade structures that extend usability and comfort.”

DPR added: “West Maui residents have been asking for more meeting space for community and individual ʻohana gatherings. Residents will have opportunities to offer feedback on the project.”

A timeline for completion will be determined as planning and design move forward, per the County.

To collect community input on the proposed site’s layout and function, along with facility programs, DPR and consulting partner G70 will host an in-person interactive design workshop from 5:30 to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, May 19, at the Lahaina Civic Center social hall.

“Community members can expect to engage with visual models and share input on how the space should be designed and used,” DPR told ASD. “Community feedback will play an important role in shaping the project, including considerations around site layout and features.”

Additional opportunities to submit comments via an online open house (website coming soon) will take place from May 20 to June 14.

“The Department of Parks and Recreation looks forward to collaborating with the community and stakeholders to create a meaningful, welcoming space that serves West Maui residents for years to come,” DPR said.

Results from this period of public outreach will be shared by the County at a monthly Lahaina Community Meeting this summer, officials stated.

“The Lahaina community has asked for more recreational facilities and community gathering spaces,” DPR Director Patrick McCall said in a statement. “This represents far more than a field house or community center — it is an investment in connection, healing and resilience. These facilities will support not only recreation, but also the long-term recovery and overall well-being of our West Maui neighbors, family and friends.”

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“The fieldhouse will include two regulation-sized basketball courts that can also be used for other court sports, including volleyball and pickleball,” it stated. “The community center will include a certified commercial kitchen, meeting space for community and individual ‘ohana gatherings, serve as an emergency shelter and provide office space for County staff."

When asked how the project will be funded, DPR said, “Cost estimates will be refined as the design progresses. Funding is typically identified through the County’s annual budget process.”

At Tuesday’s Budget, Finance and Economic Development Committee Meeting by Maui County Council, McCall shared DPR’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2027, which is $29.9 million in total. He noted that $5 million will go toward West Maui builds, $1.2 million of which is allocated for the new community center and fieldhouse.

“Our budget represents our attempt to preserve our aging facilities, protect our environment and also equip our staff to deliver large scale recreational programs across the board,” he said during the meeting's opening remarks.

 DPR’s mission is to "provide safe, satisfying and cost-effective recreational opportunities for the residents of and visitors to Maui County".

For more information about this project, email 

West Maui 2024

<title>Public input sought for proposed $1.2 million community center in West Maui</title>

G70 and Maui County Department of Parks and Recreation have partnered to bring community spaces and facility programs back to West Maui. Residents can submit feedback in-person and online starting May 19 to June 14.

Public input sought for proposed $1.2 million community center in West Maui

Stephanie Salmons Headshot

Stephanie Salmons

Business & Tourism

Hawaiian Electric customers be warned — higher bills are headed your way.

The utility this week said it anticipates that typical residential bills may rise between 20% and 30% in the coming months. The increases are driven by rising global oil prices linked to "escalating geopolitical tensions," including the current conflict in Iran, an 

"As an island state that relies heavily on imported fuel for electricity generation and transportation, Hawai‘i is particularly sensitive to global fossil fuel price fluctuations," HECO says. "These increases will affect electric bills, fuel prices and other commodities."

Customers on O‘ahu will begin seeing higher bills in April, while Hawai‘i Island and Maui County customers will see increases in May and June, the announcement noted.

The formula for rates is regulated by the Public Utilities Commission, and "includes fuel costs that fluctuate with world markets," according to the utility, which also notes that it makes no profit on the fuel used to generate electricity.

A HECO spokesperson told Aloha State Daily that increases for commercial customers are expected to be in the same ballpark as residential customers.

"Retailers operate on very thin margins, so rising energy costs remain a key concern," Dave Erdman, interim president and CEO of Retail Merchants of Hawai‘i, told Aloha State Daily in an email. "Our members are sharing practical suggestions to reduce in-store energy use and manage higher electric bills, such as using LED lighting, adjusting air-conditioning settings, turning off lights when not in use, and maintaining refrigeration and air filters for efficiency. 

"We will continue to monitor the situation, and gain and share feedback from members on impacts to their retail businesses, shopping centers/malls, dining establishments [and] our allied businesses in professional services and logistics," he continued. "The impact reaches our stores, centers, small businesses and at the homes of our retail employees.”

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"How to combat rising energy costs"}]

Those looking for ways to manage their energy bills can find 

Hawai‘i Energy, the state's energy conservation program, also offers tips, programs and rebates for both residents and businesses looking to offset rising energy costs.

 program, for example provides qualifying businesses and nonprofits with light upgrades at a "significantly reduced" prices.

And rebates help both businesses and residents lower the cost of energy-efficient upgrades, Hawai‘i Energy says.

"Instead of bearing the full expense of new equipment, participants receive financial incentives that reduce the initial investment, making it much easier to move forward with improvements that  deliver long-term savings on energy bills," the organization told ASD.

, rebates are typically tied to specific equipment upgrades like high-efficiency lighting, refrigeration systems, HVAC equipment and controls, and in many cases, the incentives can cover a "meaningful portion of the project cost," Hawai‘i Energy says. The organization also offers technical support to help find the most cost-effective upgrades. See a list of 

, meanwhile, can get rebates for things like energy-efficient appliances, water heating systems and regular maintenance services. Depending on the product, the rebate may be applied instantly when purchased through participating retailers or contractor, or customers can submit a rebate application after purchase, Hawai‘i Energy says. See a list of 

[{"type":"text","text":"As for businesses, Hawai‘i Energy says to:"}]

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Rising gas prices"}]

Oil prices increased after the Iran conflict began on Feb. 28 and rose about 

In addition to rising electric costs, drivers are seeing higher prices at the gas pumps.

With an average gas price of $5.41, Hawai‘i joins California ($5.82) and Washington ($5.27) as the states with the highest average prices, as of March 30, according to data from 

Those three states also have the highest average diesel prices in the country: 

California at $7.30, Hawaiʻi at $6.67, and Washington at $6.50.

Hawai‘i was also led the states that saw the biggest weekly change in gas prices, up 18.8 cents, according to GasBuddy.

For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up 

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