HONOLULU (KHON2) — Nuclear power is long known for its destructive power and potential health risks. But it’s also a source of energy. And there is a working group set to meet later this year to discuss bringing it to Hawaii.

The cost of keeping the lights on in Hawaii is high.

“We spend more than 4 times the national average for our utility bills,” said Sen. Glenn Wakai, who serves as the chair of the Senate Energy and Intergovernmental Affairs Committee. “And we have so much solar and wind on the grid and we know that sometimes Mother Nature doesn’t play to our desires.”

As part of the state’s goal to reach 100-percent renewable energy by 2045, lawmakers passed a resolution this session to form a working group to talk about bringing nuclear energy to Hawaii – even though the technology still isn’t ready.

“I’m a believer that if the science is going this way, the policy should be meeting it at a certain point rather than the science having ready for consumer use, and then we figuring out the policy,” Wakai said.

Some say this is not the nuclear energy of decades past – like Fukushima or three-mile island.

“It’s having conversations, but it is wasting public time and money to explore something that common sense, if you know anything about this industry, says is just not even a good idea,” said Mike Ewall, Energy Justice Network.

Technology is better and small modular reactors, or SMR’s, could work in Hawaii. But others mention nuclear waste, costs – which at this time are not known – and the health risks.

“They can and do lead to increases in breast cancer, leukemia, birth defects, infant mortality, those types of problems,” Ewall said.

“We need a better option and nuclear has the potential to provide some of that base load,” said Monique Zanfes, Hawaii Energy Office Efficiency and Renewable Energy managing director. “It is a firm source of energy, but right now the technology, again, is just, it’s too nascent.”

Even if this working group was in favor of bringing nuclear to Hawaii, there’s one big problem – nuclear is actually illegal here per our state constitution. So to change it, it would need to be approved by both two-thirds of the State House and two-thirds of the State Senate.

The working group is scheduled to convene in September and have a report ready for lawmakers before next session.

“Ultimately, we have to keep the lights on and we have to do it at a reasonable cost and we keep all options on the table,” said Zanfes.