Insights
From Oil to LNG: Would It Really Lower Hawaii’s Electricity Rates?
By Michael J. Roberts Hawaiʻi’s electricity rates are the highest in the nation — roughly three times the U.S. average. The main reason is that the islands burn imported oil refined locally into a specialized low-sulfur fuel, and a single small refinery serving a captive market is about as expensive a supply chain as you […]
Read MoreThe Housing Market Impacts of a New Honolulu Condo
By Justin Tyndall Housing policy discussions in Hawaiʻi often focus on how we can make newly built homes affordable. Yet new construction represents only a small share of the housing market. Most of the state’s housing stock was built in the 1970s or earlier, and only about 3% of homes have been built since 2020. […]
Read MoreAre People Leaving Hawaiʻi Because of High Prices, or Low Incomes?
By Steven Bond-Smith and Erich Schwartz This post focuses on a key theme from our comprehensive report, “Beyond the Price of Paradise: Is Hawaiʻi being left behind?” For 23 of the past 25 years, more residents have left Hawaiʻi for the continent than have arrived. The most commonly cited reason for leaving Hawaiʻi is the […]
Read MoreWhat Happens After Job Training Part II: Healthcare, Skilled Trades, and Technology Student Labor Market Trajectories
By Rachel Inafuku Hawaiʻi has long faced one of the highest costs of living in the nation, creating persistent financial pressure for local families. Housing costs remain especially high, with median single-family home prices exceeding $1.1 million. Everyday expenses are also elevated: according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, prices for consumer goods in Hawaiʻi […]
Read MoreThe Lost Decade Never Ended in Hawaiʻi
By Steven Bond-Smith and Erich Schwartz This post focuses on a key theme from our comprehensive report, “Beyond the Price of Paradise: Is Hawaiʻi being left behind?” In the early 1990s, Japan entered what became known as its “Lost Decade”—a long period of economic stagnation triggered by the collapse of a massive asset bubble. The […]
Read MoreIs Hawaiʻi Being Left Behind?
By Steven Bond-Smith and Erich Schwartz This post focuses on a key theme from our comprehensive report, “Beyond the Price of Paradise: Is Hawaiʻi being left behind?” Across the United States, a number of regions that once thrived have struggled to adapt as their economies have changed. These “left-behind places” share a common pattern: a […]
Read MoreConsensus, Urgency, and the Cost Question: What Hawaiʻi Residents Think About Sea Level Rise
By Colin Moore, Ketty Loeb, Zena Grecni, and Victoria Keener Hawaiʻi is among the most vulnerable places in the United States to sea level rise. Nearly all residents live near the coast, where housing, transportation networks, tourism infrastructure, and cultural sites are concentrated. Chronic flooding and beach erosion are already visible in many communities, and […]
Read MoreBeyond the hype: What research shows about the value of college in the AI era
By Rachel Inafuku and Steven Bond-Smith Does a college education still provide significant labor market advantages in the Artificial Intelligence (AI) era? Many observers argue that AI is beginning to replace the entry-level white-collar roles that once served as career launching points for new college graduates. A 2024 McKinsey & Company survey found that the […]
Read MoreCost-Effective Invasive Species Management: Biocontrol in Hawaiʻi Delivers High Return on Investment
By Conrad Newfield, Christopher Wada, and Kimberly Burnett Read the full report. Growing Threats to Hawaiʻi’s Forests and Industries Hawaiʻi’s native ecosystems and agricultural economy are under threat from invasive species. Each year, an average of 20 alien insects and 100 alien plant species arrive in the islands. This long and growing list of invasive […]
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