Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative Launched

January 28, 2008

A photograph of Assistant Secretary Alexander Karsner and Hawaii Governor Linda Lingle, who are wearing leis. They are standing behind a podium in front of the state seal of Hawaii, framed by two American flags.

JANUARY 28 — Assistant Secretary Alexander Karsner and Hawaii Governor Linda Lingle signed a groundbreaking Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the state government and the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. The agreement created the Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative, which seeks to transform Hawaii’s energy portfolio into a predominately renewable energy mix, moving away from reliance on fossil fuels.

Under the MOU, Hawaii will become a testing ground for a portfolio of renewable energy technologies, including solar, oceanic, geothermal, and wind. The state will also pioneer financial, policy, and business models that the signatories hope can be replicated throughout the United States. Hawaii currently depends on imported fossil fuels for 90% of its energy.

The MOU’s elements include: planning for the “structural transformation” needed to help Hawaii develop renewable sources of energy; fostering financial and policy innovations; supporting public acceptance and awareness of renewable energy technologies; and building a workforce to create and sustain a “clean energy economy.”

See the full text of the Memorandum of Understanding (PDF 180 KB). Download Adobe Reader.

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