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Lanai residents, well, some of them anyway, turned out for a couple of recent sessions with NextEra and the Public Utilities Commission.

Given Hawaii’s high cost of living, the state may not meet its ambitious renewable energy goals without first lowering the nation’s highest electricity rates.

Opponents of NextEra Energy’s $4.3 billion bid to buy Hawaiian Electric have publicly blasted the merger. But that posturing has sparked negotiations that over the next few months should lead to more benefits and cost-savings for consumers.

The Hawaii Public Utilities Commission held its first of seven listening sessions on the proposed sale of Hawaiian Electric Industries to NextEra Energy.

A diverse group of more than 40 elected officials wants more options on the table as the merger deal between NextEra and Hawaiian Electric is being considered.

As the company’s planned merger with NextEra Energy moves forward, the state Public Utilities Commission and others are asking new questions.

The companies filed more than 1,000 pages in response to concerns about the proposed $4.3 billion sale. Starting Friday, the public will get its chance to weigh in.

Hawaii is making a big-money gamble as it shifts from oil-powered electric generation to renewable energy sources, infusing the industry with its own new energy.

Hawaiian Electric and Hawaii Gas praise the prospects of LNG while Ulupono offers words of caution, all a day after Gov. Ige announced his opposition to it.

UPDATED: The governor formerly supported LNG as a “transitional fuel,” but he says much has changed regarding its economics.