Molokai Has An Electricity Problem. This Co-Op Wants To Change That …A new co-op plans to reclaim some of its electricity ownership by bidding on a community-based renewable energy project.
When the sun sets on Molokai, hundreds of homes go dark.
For many of the island’s nearly 7,300 residents — 62% of which are Native Hawaiian — keeping the lights off isn’t just an environmentally sound choice, but a necessity since they have among the highest electricity rates in the state. That’s compounded by the fact that Hawaii ranks first for the most expensive electricity in the nation.
Longtime community activist Walter Ritte says conserving electricity is a foundational lesson children learn at a young age in Molokai.
“You have a mindset,” he said. “This thing that’s creating electricity is not some magic.”
