Jesse Fitzgerald
GreenQ1 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?
“Solar and geothermal are key , LNG is a no go, period, this is energy from fracking and produces methane gas, the deadliest of the greenhouse gasses. We should make HECO a state entity, upgrade the infrastructure, convert to all renewables and structure Hawaii in a way to lead the nation and the world in sustainability. Lower energy prices to boost domestic production and allow businesses to thrive and families to afford the energy they need.”
KEYWORDS: Sustainable, clean, jobs, Green Revolution.
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?
“We need to produce our own food and energy to insulate us from the fluctuations of the market that are to come. We need to look into state run insurance companies to provide the coverage we will need and improve response time. We need to be proactive in determining the impacts in our communities that are currently experiencing the effects of climate change. We need to be proactive not reactionary to the changing climate.”
KEYWORDS: Proactive, self sustainable, insurance reform.
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?
“Ban all data centers period. The current production standards are antithetical to the human condition. We cannot afford to give up more water and space to these polluting systems that most likely won’t benefit the average person.”
KEYWORDS: Ban
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?
“Hawaii should have the highest quality public education, STEM programs are great and we need them for the modern world , but equitable efforts to support the arts, trades, and agriculture to increase the vibrancy of life and prosperity of a well rounded work force and society.”
KEYWORDS: Public school investment, a well rounded curriculum
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?
“Public transportation is the key to Hawaii’s future prosperity. We need to incentivize mass transit, biking, free transportation for children, maybe for all, this would lead to less pollution, traffic, road wear and maintenance, we need to discourage private transport as much as possible.”
KEYWORDS: Mass transit, future, equity, free, sustainable