Power plants swapping their coal for renewable fuel sources seems to be a growing trend, and Hawaii looks to add this idea to the host of other sustainable practices the state has been implementing. Hawaii has just finished a blessing ceremony for the Hu Honua Bioenergy Facility on Big Island’s Hamakua Coast.

The 24 MW plant is a project of MMA Renewable Ventures and will supply about 7-10% of the island’s power needs – or enough for about 18,000 homes. The fuel source is plant waste that would otherwise go into landfills. Residents are excited about the project, which is expected to generate hundreds of local jobs. Their excitement was documented in the fact that a whopping 95% of residents approached with a petition to convert the power plant from coal to biomass went ahead and signed the petition.

The conversion helps Hawaii meet the goal of having 20% of its energy come from renewable resources by 2020, and in turn helps all of us get an eensy bit closer to ending our use of coal.

Via RenewableEnergyWorld, MM Renewable Ventures