Skip to main content

State energy pathway · Hawaii

Start with the energy systems shaping Hawaii.

Hawaii's island grids have no mainland transmission for backup and must reach 100% renewable electricity generation by 2045. That isolation makes every decision about solar, wind, storage, and matching generation to demand an engineering problem. That makes Hawaii one of the clearest places for students to see why grid stability, storage, and local generation all matter together.

Energy data is from the EIA State Energy Data System, EIA State Electricity Profiles, NCSL State Energy Legislation Database, and state economic development offices.

See why energy matters hereJump to the matched course

Why Energy Matters in Hawaii

Island Grid Isolation

Each Hawaiian island grid has to manage generation and electricity use without a mainland connection to lean on. That isolation makes planning, forecasting, and equipment performance more visible than in many continental states. Students who understand Hawaii's islanded systems learn why resilience starts with local control.

Renewable Stability Challenge

Hawaii's renewable electricity target of 100% by 2045 means solar, wind, storage, and timing generation to meet demand all have to work together. Right now, Hawaii pays the highest electricity prices in the US — 38 cents per kilowatt-hour — because its six island grids run primarily on imported petroleum. Students who design a microgrid that stays stable in Hawaii learn why that isolation, combined with renewable generation, makes grid reliability an engineering design problem.

Latimer Energy Academy helps students in Hawaii simulate, build, and stress-test a microgrid system, then defend it in a rate-case hearing — making the state's renewable electricity goal an engineering challenge they solve at a systems level.

Energy data is from the EIA State Energy Data System, EIA State Electricity Profiles, NCSL State Energy Legislation Database, and state economic development offices.

Start here for Hawaii

The Microgrid: Optimization & Resilience

Hawaii's island grid isolation makes resilience and failure recovery the most direct and locally meaningful design challenge — reliability has nowhere else to turn.

Mission spotlight

Push It to Failure

Students stress-test an island-grid model under outage and recovery conditions, mirroring the real resilience constraints Hawaii faces without any mainland interconnection to fall back on.

Included in LEA curriculum

Pilot proof

Students enjoy the work because it feels real.

In January 2026, 39 fourth-grade students in Indianapolis completed every lesson from start to finish — coding real pocket computers (microcontrollers), collecting live energy readings, and presenting findings to an audience.

4.6/5

Student enjoyment

72% of students gave it a 5-star rating

100%

Reported learning something new

Every student who took the survey said they learned something new

39

Students completed the entire course

Every student finished all five lessons, coded a pocket computer (microcontroller), and presented findings

Available to book today

Book the support that fits Hawaii.

Whether you want to get LEA into the hands of students this semester, plan for a pilot next year, or just learn more about the state-specific approach, you can book a session with our team to get the support you need.

School or district consultation

Review the state-specific entry point, pilot scope, and what implementation would look like for your classrooms.

Book this path

Founder-led instruction session

Bring Dr. Naeem Turner-Bandele in to teach a project and show what high-quality facilitation looks like with students.

Book this path

Family or community guidance

Get help choosing the right starting point for home learning, after-school use, or a community organization rollout.

Book this path

Utility or business partnership call

Discuss local workforce relevance, territory fit, and how we can collaborate to support energy education in your community.

Book this path

Find your path

Choose your next step based on how you want to use LEA in Hawaii.

Select your path below to see the approach designed for how you will use LEA in Hawaii — whether you run a classroom, lead a school, or support a student at home.

Find the right starting point

Schools

Curriculum and professional development for your district

Teachers

Lesson plans and resources for your classroom

Parents

Learn alongside your child with guided family activities

Community

Hands-on energy programs for clubs and community groups

Utilities

STEM outreach and workforce pipeline programs

Businesses

Partner with Latimer Energy Academy to build the energy and technology workforce