This is an excerpt from EERE Network News, a weekly electronic newsletter.
January 28, 2008
Hawaii and DOE Sign Agreement to Promote Hawaiian Clean Energy
The State of Hawaii and DOE formed a partnership on January 28 that will work towards dramatically shifting Hawaii's energy system from one that is fueled primarily by oil to one that is powered primarily by renewable energy. Governor Linda Lingle and Alexander Karsner, DOE's assistant secretary for energy efficiency and renewable energy, signed a long-term Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to establish the partnership, called the Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative. The partnership aims to have 70% of all of Hawaii's energy needs generated by renewable energy sources by 2030, cutting crude oil consumption in the state by 72%. It will start with seven joint working groups that will tackle the topics of transportation, energy efficiency, power generation, power delivery, technology integration, sustained financing, and policy and regulatory mechanisms. That work will identify the financial, policy, and regulatory mechanisms that Hawaii will need to implement to meet its energy goals.
Through the new partnership, DOE will help Hawaii to develop its renewable energy resources, including solar energy, wind power, and bioenergy. The partnership will focus on both public and private sectors, and will simultaneously target various energy efficient opportunities. DOE and Hawaii also aim to design cost-effective approaches to using renewable energy exclusively on the smaller islands; design systems to improve the stability of electric grids operating with variable generating sources; minimize energy use and maximize energy efficiency at military housing developments; and expand Hawaii's ability to use locally grown crops and byproducts for fuels and electricity. See the DOE press release and the full text of the MOU (PDF 108 KB). Download Adobe Reader.
