UHERO

Briefs

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

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

April 14, 2026

By Michael J. Roberts Hawaiʻi’s electricity rates are the highest in the nation — roughly three times the U.S. average — and have been for…

The Vulnerability of Hawai‘i’s Nonprofit Sector to Cuts in Federal Funding

The Vulnerability of Hawai‘i’s Nonprofit Sector to Cuts in Federal Funding

October 2, 2025

Hawai‘i’s nonprofit sector is facing budget cuts and program changes that could disrupt essential services statewide. A new analysis by UHERO and the Hawai‘i Community…

Considerations for understanding water availability in West Maui

Considerations for understanding water availability in West Maui

January 21, 2025

This piece intends to highlight some of the inherent tradeoffs that make managing water in West Maui especially challenging. In particular, subtracting current/authorized use from…

Wealth by Association? How Social Networks Drive Inequality in Hawaii

Wealth by Association? How Social Networks Drive Inequality in Hawaii

April 25, 2024

Studies show that economic connectedness, a poor individual’s share of wealthy friends, significantly impacts economic mobility. Hawaii ranks highly in this metric compared to other…

Taxing Tourists to Generate Revenue to Address the Negative Impacts of Climate Change on Hawai‘i Natural Resources

Taxing Tourists to Generate Revenue to Address the Negative Impacts of Climate Change on Hawai‘i Natural Resources

April 5, 2024

There is widespread agreement among Hawai‘i residents that the state government needs to spend more money on natural resource stewardship. A critical question is how…

Brief: Dissolving the Hawaii Tourism Authority

Brief: Dissolving the Hawaii Tourism Authority

April 5, 2023

By Paul Brewbaker, Frank Haas, and James Mak State lawmakers in the 2023 state legislature are bashing the Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA)…again! This year, the…

Public Campaign Financing: Evidence and Opportunities for Hawai‘i

Public Campaign Financing: Evidence and Opportunities for Hawai‘i

February 28, 2023

By Colin Moore Concerns about the corrupting influence of money in politics have led to renewed interest in public campaign financing. Some argue that using…

Hawai‘i Tourism in Search of the Promised Land

Hawai‘i Tourism in Search of the Promised Land

October 10, 2022

By Paul Brewbaker, Frank Haas and James Mak Public pressure has been mounting on the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority (HTA) to shift its focus from mainly…

Measuring the Burden of Housing Regulation in Hawaii

Measuring the Burden of Housing Regulation in Hawaii

April 14, 2022

By Rachel Inafuku, Justin Tyndall, and Carl Bonham Home prices in Hawaii are among the highest in the nation: in 2021 the median single-family home resale…