MEDIA RELEASE
The Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative continues to move forward with an agreement between the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, Hawaiian Electric Company, Maui Electric Company and Hawaii Electric Light Company.
The agreement will benefit Native Hawaiian homesteaders and support HCEI through the development of affordable, energy self-sufficient and sustainable communities.
“This partnership is about fulfilling our obligation to native Hawaiians by developing affordable, energy self-sufficient and sustainable communities that also benefit all the people of Hawaii,” said Kaulana Park, chairman of the Hawaiian Homes Commission and director of DHHL. “We have an obligation to be leaders in protecting our lands and we are stepping forward with great partners to improve the lives of not only native Hawaiians but, everyone in our state.”
The DHHL-Hawaiian Electric Companies Energy Partnership Charter stems from DHHL’s recently adopted Energy Policy – Hoomaluo – which outlines five key objectives to achieving healthy, self-sufficient and thriving communities. Â
This partnership further advances these objectives and sets a course of action to:
* Reinforce the focus on the environment and the preservation of values that restore balance, harmony and sustainability of Hawaii’s lands;
* Pursue opportunities for economic self-sufficiency and contribute to Hawaii’s Clean Energy Initiative through leasing of lands owned by DHHL for renewable energy projects;
* Build new, affordable, sustainable communities and promote energy initiatives;
* Incorporate renewable energy technologies into existing homesteads;
* Conduct outreach programs to educate and encourage the public to live a “green” lifestyle; and
* Market the state and utility’s collaborative efforts to reduce Hawaii’s dependence on imported oil.
“These are ambitious goals for DHHL and Hawaiian Electric, but we are confident that we can achieve our objectives by working together,” said Robbie Alm, Hawaiian Electric executive vice president. “This is a model for how we can and should build communities using the values that native Hawaiians practiced for generations in combination with modern technology. We are committed to working closely with DHHL to identify opportunities, programs and resources that support their projects and successfully accomplish the goals of the partnership.”
As an example, Hawaiian Electric is serving as a technical consultant on the department’s upcoming Kaupuni Village subdivision, a state-of-the-art, energy-efficient residential project in Waianae that will feature the state’s first net zero energy homes and serve as a model community for affordable, sustainable living. Â
When completed in mid-2010, the three-acre site will feature 18 single-family homes and a community center that includes open space, aquaculture fish ponds, agriculture plots for farming and a story/meditation garden.
So did the director of DHHL hook up the utility for a deal and then now is a VP of the Utility owned American Savings bank?
……just curious.