Achievers often set ambitious goals without knowing if the bar is raised too high.

When Hawai'i's elected leaders made theirs to hit a particular mark by 2030 — to boost the Islands' use of renewable energy to 70 percent of the total — nobody could be certain that it's possible.

What is possible can't be known: We're shifting to a power grid dominated by renewable energy, and that's uncharted territory.

So when two consulting firms suggested it will be an uphill battle to reduce dependence on fossil fuels, the community should not conclude that it's a lost cause.

With the right state and national energy policies, there could be economies of scale and production dynamics that Americans can't yet anticipate. That could help Hawai'i accelerate its progress.

This is why it's absolutely critical that the state administration not shrink from the challenge of reducing petroleum imports. The aim should be to make it easier to convert our natural resources to useable energy; streamlining the development of an interisland cable linking Neighbor Island windfarms to O'ahu, for example, would be a smart move.

The Lingle administration embarked on a "clean energy initiative" with the U.S. Department of Energy, and the consultants concluded in reports that quantum gains can be made in expanding the renewable-energy portfolio, even if the benchmark proves to be beyond reach.

The Islands' ample potential in solar, wind, wave and geo-thermal energy make this a worthwhile campaign.

Nationally political will has lagged behind: The U.S. Senate failed — again — to pass a key bill extending wind and solar energy tax credits. Neither John McCain nor Barack Obama was on hand to cast his vote on the latest bill, although Obama has voted for previous versions.

The results are disheartening. In particular, John McCain's repeated refusal to weigh in on any previous version of the credit renewal puts his professed enthusiasm for renewable energy in doubt.

Now more than ever, Hawai'i must take its place on the renewable-energy vanguard. And voters need to see that their leaders keep an eye on this important prize.