Dan Johnson
RepublicanQ1 As energy prices continue to increase in Hawaiʻi, what role, if any, should alternative energy sources, such as solar, wind, geothermal, and liquefied natural gas, play in Hawaiʻi’s future energy mix? What policies would you support related to alternative energy development, regulation, and/or research, and why?
“I fully support renewable energy incentives, and opposed SB3125 which placed a cap on the solar energy tax credits. This does not make sense for our state to have a goal of 100% renewable by 2045 and harming this credit at the same time.
I would support using liquefied natural gas as a component of our energy portfolio, but also think we should diversify our energy supply to include biofuels and biochar from green waste more. Expanding our tax incentives to renewable energy plants would be a good move with stipulations that these plants are set to export to the grid at peak hours and after sundown to balance the solar production window and contribute to more firm renewable sources.”
KEYWORDS: Sustainability, resilience, and firm energy sources
Q2 Every county has faced a major disaster in the last decade, with more and more happening each year. What is your concrete plan to adapt to a world with more volatile, climate-driven risks and protect our communities?
“Hardening our grid is an appropriate response. However, I think we need more forward looking plans that include burying transmission lines underground instead of overhead. As project manager, I typically am burying blank conduits for future utilities on most projects that are forward thinking about future development. Our Department of Transportation should likewise plan this way and coordinate with the utilities to partially phase in conduit trenching with planned replacement projects to be used for future transmission lines. We need to be wise with our funds and get the most “bang for our buck” with properly planning ahead for grid hardening.”
KEYWORDS: Grid hardening, planning ahead, forward thinking
Q3 While data centers can be important facilities for processing, transferring, and storing data, there are growing concerns about data centers’ environmental impacts and health repercussions. What policies, if any, would you support to balance technological and economic growth with infrastructure reliability, environmental sustainability, and the preservation of land and water? For example, Bill 170 from Hawaiʻi County proposes to ban AI data centers and distinguish them from standard data processing facilities; should other counties follow suit?
“I don’t have a very strong stance on this as of yet, but I am hearing many concerns from the community about data centers in Hawaii. First, I don’t believe we offer the most competitive facilities from a land cost or energy perspective for it to make sense to position our state to investors and developers for data centers as is. Second, if the community strongly opposes them, then we should head those concerns and place a quota on the number of data centers that can be built by creating a licensing standard or something of that effect. Use the funds from the fees to improve infrastructure and regulate the allowable bandwidth of available resources.”
KEYWORDS: Community involvement, licensing, and regulation
Q4 Across the Hawaiʻi’s Public School System, a little more than 40% of students achieved math and science proficiency in the 2024-2025 school year. However, access to these opportunities varies across the state due to factors such as geography, school resources, and program availability. What policies do you support to expand equitable access to high-quality STEM and general education for students across Hawaiʻi, such as the use of AI in the classroom, increasing public funding, and more support for extracurricular activities?
“I strongly support STEM programs and improving the quality and value of our educational system. I would support funding for these programs and also look at getting other businesses in the community to support these programs in collaboration with educational and pre-employment opportunities.”
KEYWORDS: STEM, robotics, pre-employment opportunities
Q5 Hawaiʻi faces unique obstacles in its transportation infrastructure, with inter-island travel, ports, and many rural communities. How can we balance environmentally sustainable technologies (such as sustainable aviation fuel, electric or hybrid vehicles, public transit options like the bus or rail) with equity for different communities?
“We need another option for people and businesses to move between the islands easily and cost effectively. The super ferry was great while it lasted and could continue to expanded produce, goods and services to be traded between the islands.”
KEYWORDS: Superferry