Economic changes accelerated by the Lahaina wildfires are compelling the state to adjust course toward its clean-energy goals, by considering alternative fuels — such as liquefied natural gas (LNG), which is cleaner than oil — in its electricity portfolio. It also raises the stakes of making permitting processes for home solar-panel installations as efficient as possible.

And time is running short for more island residents to gain access to affordable solar energy for electricity, advancing the state’s progress away from fossil fuels.

This is, in part, because Solar for All, a $7 billion federal grant program that aims to expand that capacity to low-income communities in particular, was terminated by Environmental Protection Agency Director Lee Zeldin in August. That move is being challe

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