As you can see, LNG prices are down despite the war in Iran.  Oooops!

US CO2 output drops starting in mid 2000s as LNG replaces coal.  

Natural gas offers modest gains, big risks for Hawaiʻi energy costs: UHERO report

From UH News, Apr 14, 2026 

(DEBUNK in parenthesis.  This was easy to do.  It took me one hour.)

Switching Hawaiʻi’s power plants from oil to liquefied natural gas (LNG) may not deliver the dramatic drop in electricity prices that some proposals promise, according to a new analysis by the University of Hawaiʻi Economic Research Organization (UHERO), released April 14.

(CLUE:  This analysis deals exclusively with cost because the solar lobby doesn’t want UHERO to point out that LNG is much cleaner than diesel.  In fact, LNG adoption is the ONLY thing that has EVER reduced US CO2 output.  See chart above.)

Hawaiʻi has the highest electricity rates in the nation, largely because it relies on imported oil. But a 2024 fuel contract renegotiation by Hawaiian Electric has already begun easing some of that burden by reducing how strongly global oil price spikes translate into local costs, saving tens of millions of dollars each month compared to the previous agreement.

(April 1, 2026: HECO: Thanks to oil, Electric Bills Will Jump 30%.)

The report finds that while natural gas is often far cheaper than oil on the continental U.S., Hawaiʻi faces higher costs because the fuel must be cooled, shipped across the ocean and converted back into gas. Those steps significantly narrow the price gap and expose the state to volatile global LNG markets, where prices can surge during supply disruptions.

(CLUE: And oil doesn’t surge???  They are pretending the alternative to LNG is intermittent solar.  Wrong.  The alternative is baseload diesel.  They just admitted it.  'Narrow the price gap' means 'is still cheaper than oil'.)

At current prices, LNG still holds a modest cost advantage over oil. However, much of the projected savings comes not from the fuel itself but from newer, more efficient power plants that use less energy to generate electricity. Similar efficiency gains could be achieved without switching fuels.

(REALITY: HECO just announced a $1B ‘simple cycle’ power plant project at Waiau.  They didn’t pick the ‘newer, more efficient’ combined cycle design.  Why?  Because ‘simple cycle’ is designed for quick power up and power down as a peaker plant to counterbalance erratic wind and solar supplies.  The point?  Intermittent wind and solar power REQUIRES the less efficient ‘simple cycle’ system.  ‘Could be’ are weasel words.)

Long-term investment concerns

The analysis also raises concerns about long-term investments in LNG infrastructure. Under scenarios where Hawaiʻi continues expanding renewable energy, such as solar paired with battery storage, LNG facilities could be underused while ratepayers remain responsible for their costs. Solar and battery systems are already competitive with fossil fuels and avoid the risks tied to global fuel markets.

(REALITY:  Batteries also have significant upfront capital costs and, unlike LNG, must be replaced every few years. Solar may be competitive with diesel, but it can’t match LNG.  That’s why the solar lobby has co-opted UHERO to write this drivel.  ‘Fossil fuels’ are weasel words.  Not all ‘fossil fuels’ are equal.  For instance, US LNG prices are down despite the current war with Iran.  See chart above.)

The findings suggest that while LNG could offer short-term benefits under certain conditions, its long-term value is uncertain compared to continued investment in renewable energy and recent improvements to oil supply contracts.

(IQ Test: Can you spell ‘Strait of Hormuz’?)

“The upside is modest and front-loaded; the downside arrives when things go wrong—and in energy markets, they eventually do,” wrote UHERO Research Fellow and UH Mānoa Economics Professor Michael J. Roberts.

Visit UHERO’s website for the insights post and entire report. 

(BONUS:  CH4 + O2 > CO2 +2H2O.  This proves that methane is NOT a 'uniquely powerful greenhouse gas'.  Methane converts to CO2 on a one-for-one basis in the presence of oxygen.)

  *   *   *   *   *

REALITY: Rate Hike Coming: PUC Approves Dirty Expensive System for Waiau HECO Plant

April 1, 2026: HECO: Thanks to oil, Electric Bills Will Jump 30%

UHERO: Hawai‘i’s Fuel Cost Problem: What the LSFO–LNG Price Comparison Really Shows - UHERO

UHERO: From Oil to LNG: Would It Really Lower Hawaii’s Electricity Rates? - UHERO

KHON: New report questions savings of switching to LNG in Hawaii