Author: Aki Marceau

The DER(t) on Distributed Energy Resources

Join us on Monday April 8th fo a timely and lively discussion, “The DER(t) on Distributed Energy Resources.

Register here.

Learn about Bring your Own Device, Smart DER and other programs, as well as the discussions and learnings that went into the development of these programs.

Panelists include:

Lani Shinsato, Director, Customer Energy Resources, Hawaiian Electric

Rocky Mould, Executive Director, Hawaii Solar Energy Association

Moderated by Gwen Yamamoto Lau, Executive Director of the Hawaii Green Infrastructure Authority

2024 Energy Outlook

WiRE members gathered with Mark Glick, Chief Energy Officer at the Hawaii State Energy Office, and Michael Angelo, Executive Director of teh Division of Consumer Advocacy to learn about their energy outlook for 2024.

In addition to great food and conversation, WiRE members had the opportunity to take professional headshots with IJfke Ridgely Photography!

WiRE Breakfast: Decarbonization Strategies

WiRE hosted a conversation on Hawaii’s decarbonization strategies, with a sneak peek into the State’s decarbonization plan and insight into the City & County of Honolulu’s Climate Action Plan. 

Hawaii has some of the most ambitious targets for decarbonization in the nation. In addition to the 2045 deadline, state law mandates that Hawaii must cut its emissions to half of 2005 levels by 2030. We learned more about the state’s decarbonization plan and the policies needed to drive change in different sectors.

Panelists:

  • Makena Coffman, Director for the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Institute for Sustainability and Resilience
  • Monique Schafer, Decarbonization Program Manager, Hawaii State Energy Office
  • Moderated by Amanda Ellis – Senior Director, Global Partnerships and Networks, Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory

Talk Story – Insights from COP26: Inspiration and Action Items for Hawaii

Happy New Year!

We celebrated our first WiRE event of the year with a Talk Story from members of Hawaii’s ‘ohana delegation to explore Insights from COP26: Inspiration and Action Items for Hawaii.  While  U.S. emissions rose 6 percent last year, we reflected on Hawaii’s role in global action.

Panelists: 

DLNR Chair Suzanne Case, who attended COP26 as part of the Hawaii ‘Ohana Delegation and also signed the Edinburgh Declaration at the conference on behalf of the State of Hawaii.

Councilmember Kelly King, who attended COP26 on behalf of ICLEI-USA and spoke on several panels with an emphasis on multi-level government collaboration, local-level community action, and advancing the circular economy; Kelly also signed the Edinburgh Declaration and helped commit Maui County to biodiversity.

Moderator:

Anu Hittle, Hawai’i Climate Change Mitigation & Adaptation Coordinator, State of Hawaii, DLNR-OCCL

 

Pre-read:

  • Materials for COP26 and State of Hawaii involvement (Governor and his delegation), along with the Ohana delegation’s presence: https://climate.hawaii.gov/hi-news/hi-blog/
  • Hawaii’s goals and progress in relation to the national and global pledges (see here)

Talk Story: Distributed Energy Resources in Hawaii

WiRE hosted a talk story on distributed energy resources (DER) in Hawaii to learn more about the important role DERs are playing in Hawaii’s ambitious clean energy goals.

Our panelists shared their insights on:

  • Current proposals for advanced rate design and DER programs
  • The recent Battery Bonus Program launched to add more DERs to the grid before the AES coal-fired plant is retired starting in September 2022
  • Stakeholder efforts to prioritize equity in DER deployment
  • Important considerations for ongoing customer engagement

Moderator:

  • Caroline Carl, Deputy Director at Hawaii Energy

Panelists:

  • Sherilyn Hayashida, Program Specialist at State of Hawaii Division of Consumer Advocacy
  • Rocky Mould, Executive Director at Hawaii Solar Energy Association
  • Kaiulani Shinsato, Director, Customer Energy Resources Programs at Hawaiian Electric

Talk Story: Clean Transportation

WiRE hosted a conversation on clean transportation just in time for National Drive Electric Week!

From reducing vehicle miles traveled (VMTs) to providing input on EV charging options powered by renewable energy, panelists discussed the latest and greatest in clean transportation initiatives in Hawaii.

Moderator:

Katie Rooney, Director, Transportation Policy and Programs, Ulupono Initiative

Panelists:

Kiani Jones, Clean Mobility Director, Blue Planet Foundation

June Chee, Sr Program Manager, Hawaiian Electric

2021 Legislative Debrief

WiRE hosted a Talk Story session with Representative Nicole Lowen, Chair of the House Energy and Environmental Protection Committee, and Senator Chris Lee, Chair of the Senate Transportation Committee, to hear more about key renewable energy, clean transportation and energy efficiency bills considered and passed during the 2021 state legislative session.  Questions were sourced from WiRE members prior to the survey for a dynamic discussion.

WiRE Talk Story: Department of Defense

Kirsten Baumgart Turner, Deputy Energy Director of the State Energy Office spoke with representatives from Booz Allen Hamilton and Hawaii Natural Energy Institute to discuss updates on Department of Defense initiatives, including the Marine Corp Base Hawaii Wave Energy Test Site project and Schofield Barracks Generating Station project and their impacts on Hawaii’s resiliency.

Moderator:

Kirsten Baumgart Turner, Deputy Energy Director of the Hawai’i State Energy Office

Panelists:

Sarah Lorimer, Lead Associate, Booz Allen Hamilton

Patrick Cross, Specialist- Marine Ocean Energy Program Manager, Hawaii Natural Energy Institute

WiRE Talk Story: Shalanda Baker

Shalanda Baker joined WiRE for an exclusive members-only  virtual talk story to dive into her new book, Revolutionary Power: An Activist’s Guide to the Energy Transition.

Baker is the current Deputy Director of Energy Justice at the U.S. Department of Energy and most recently a professor of law, public policy, and urban affairs at Northeastern University. She also served as associate professor of law at the William S. Richardson School of Law, University of Hawai’i, where she was the founding director of the Energy Justice Program. She was the co-founder and co-director of the Initiative for Energy Justice, which provides technical law and policy support to communities on the front lines of climate change. Baker served as an Air Force officer prior to her honorable discharge pursuant to the then existing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, and became a vocal advocate for repeal of the policy. She earned a B.S. in Political Science from the U.S. Air Force Academy, a J.D. from Northeastern University, and L.L.M. from the University of Wisconsin.