The EPA just walked back Hawai‘i’s plan to retire its dinosaur power plants
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has partially denied Hawaiʻi's plan to retire its aging oil-fired power plants, impacting efforts to improve air quality. The decision affects the state's strategy to reduce haze in national parks and has raised concerns about grid reliability. Environmental advocates argue that this move will lead to poorer air quality and harm local communities.
- ▪The EPA announced it partially denied Hawaiʻi's 2024 Regional Haze State Implementation Plan.
- ▪The plan aimed to reduce haze in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park and Haleakalā National Park.
- ▪The EPA's decision affects the planned closure of two oil-fired electricity generating units by 2028.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
Twilight Greenaway Published May 24, 2026 Topic Climate + Regulation Share/Republish Copy Link Copy Link Email SMS X Facebook Reddit LinkedIn Bluesky This story was originally published by Honolulu Civil Beat. Hawaiʻi has some of the freshest air in the nation, but in some parts of the state hazy skies can impact tourism and public health. Now, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has pumped the brakes on a multi-decade effort to improve visibility and reduce fine particulates and other man-made pollutants. On May 15, the agency announced it had partially denied Hawaiʻi’s 2024 Regional Haze State Implementation Plan, a detailed proposal that lays out the state’s intention to comply with the federal Clean Air Act.
…
Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Grist.
Discussion
0 commentsMore from Grist
