Please join us for lunch on Friday, May 31, for a timely and lively discussion about resilience in Hawai'i.
Learn about the City & County of Honolulu Climate Ready Oahu climate adaptation strategy and guiding policy document, Hawaiian Electric's resilience strategy & critical community hubs, and the Center for Resilient Neighborhoods (CERENE) at Kapiolani Community College.

Location: The Pacific Club, 1451 Queen Emma St, Honolulu, HI 96813

• Date: May 31, 2024 11:30 AM – 2:00PM
• Members: $40
• Non-members: $50

Panelists:

• ·Colton Ching, Senior Vice President, Planning & Technology, Hawaiian Electric

• ·Miku Lenentine - Program Coordinator, Center for Resilient Neighborhoods (CERENE), Kapiolani Community College

• ·Matt Gonser, Chief Resilience Officer, City & County of Honolulu, Office of Climate Change, Sustainability & Resiliency

• Moderated by Kaimana Walsh, Director of Data & Innovation, Hawaii Green Growth

Please join us in-person for a closing reception on May 23, 2024 following the Hawaii Energy Conference at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center.

Light pupus and cash bar.
Current WiRE members who register for the closing reception in advance will receive one complimentary drink ticket.

*All are welcome but you must be registered to attend the conference, for more information or to register for the conference visit www.hawaiienergyconference.com

Looking forward to seeing you there!

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

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 members gathered to close out 2023 and reminisce about all we accomplished over the past year, shared lesson learned, and planns to hit the ground running in the upcoming year of the dragon!

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

On July 25th, WiRE hosted a breakfast conversation exploring recent trends in state energy policy in Hawaii. Attendees learned about energy policies passed during the 2023 legislative session and what’s on the horizon for the 2024 session.

Panelists:

• Senator Lynn DeCoite, Chair, Senate Committee on Energy, Economic Development and Tourism
• Representative Nicole Lowen, Chair, House Committee on Energy and Environmental Protection

Moderated by Melissa Miyashiro, Executive Director, Blue Planet Foundation

Please join us in-person for a closing reception on May 25, 2023 following the 10th Hawaii Energy Conference* at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center.

• Light pupus and cash bar
• Current WiRE members who register for the closing reception in advance will receive one complimentary drink ticket.

*All are welcome but you must be registered to attend the conference, for more information or to register for the conference visit www.hawaiienergyconference.com

• Location: Maui Arts & Cultural Center, 1 Cameron Way, Kahului, HI 96732
• Date: May 25, 2023
• Time: 5 – 6:30pm

Looking forward to seeing you there.

RSVP here!

• Location: The Pacific Club, 1451 Queen Emma St, Honolulu, HI 96813
• Date: March 10, 2023 8AM – 9:30AM
• Members: $35
• Non-members: $50

• Jim Kelly – Vice President, Government and Community Relations and Corporate Communications at Hawaiian Electric
• Rocky Mould – Executive Director, Hawaii Solar Energy Association

On March 10, 2023, WiRE hosted a breakfast panel discussion focused on electric transportation in Hawaii. Grace Relf, Chief of Policy & Research at the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission, provided opening remarks about the energy industry.

Attendees learned about the State’s plan to deploy $6.1 million in charging stations as part of their NEVI Plan, heard about Hawaiian Electric’s $4.8 million Charge Up Commercial make ready infrastructure pilot, and found out how the US Postal service is electrifying their fleet, thanks to analyses by ICF International.

Opening Remarks, Energy Industry Insights & Vision: Grace Relf, Chief of Policy & Research, Public Utilities Commission

Moderator: Tabatha Knudson, Mobility & Equity Coordinator, Blue Planet

Panelists:

1. Dre Kalili, Deputy Director, Hawaii Department of Transportation – Harbors
2. Ida Taylor, Product Manager, Charge Up Commercial, Hawaiian Electric
3. Susan Asam, Vice President, Climate Planning + ICF Climate Center Senior Fellow, ICF International

[UPDATE 6/3/22: NO LONGER ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS. PROGRAM AT CAPACITY] As a women’s business organization, WiRE is committed to supporting professional and technical development opportunities fir our members. We are honored to continue our Professional and Technical Development Scholarship.   (more…)

On Tuesday, May 24, 2022, WiRE participated in a site tour of the Honouliuli Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) plant and talk story with Mayor Rick Blangiardi.  Commissioned in 2018, the RNG plant, made possible through a partnership between the City & County of Honolulu and Hawaii Gas, upgrades raw biogas from the Honouliuli Wastewater Treatment Plant in Ewa Beach, to pipeline ready RNG for use by utility gas customers on Oahu.

Mahalo to the Department of Environmental Services and Hawaii Gas for hosting the tour, and to Mayor Blangiardi and Nicola Hedge (Resilience Office), for engaging with us!

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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)

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

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

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.

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

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.

On December 23, 2020 the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission issued a historic order for Performance Based Regulation (PBR). On February 26th from 12-1 PM, WiRE hosted an exciting discussion about the many details of PBR in Hawai’i.

Panelists included:

• Commissioner Jennifer Potter, Hawaii PUC
• Cara Goldenberg, Manager, Rocky Mountain Institute
• Grace Relf, Senior Utility Analyst, Hawaii PUC
• Gina Yi, Interim Chief Engineer, Hawaii PUC

We learned more about the multi-year stakeholder engagement process leading up to the Decision and Order – including goals and outcomes, notable milestones and challenges to overcome. We will also explore the post Decision and Order working group efforts currently underway and activities planned through June 2021. Attendees also gained insight into the plans for PBR implementation over the next few years.

For some additional information, we welcome you to review the PUC’s PBR Phase 2 D&O 5 Page Summary. You can also visit the PUC’s Performance Based Regulation website for some detailed content on the proceedings.

• See pre-approved packages here.
• Apply for the scholarship here.

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During this session, we heard from three of our fellow WiRE members who took part in the WiRE Professional & Technical Development Scholarship program. They shared why they decided to partake in their development program and how they made the ask.

Clarice Schafer, Supervising Utility Analyst at Hawaii Public Utilities Commission

Jordan Little, Senior Manager of Asset Management & Business Development at Pacific Current Hawaii

Kirstin Punu, Community Engagement & Strategic Partnerships at AES Distributed Energy

We also launched some pre-approved development programs and coaching packages.

We know that many of you are juggling multiple priorities and may be feeling fatigue with video conferencing and webinars. That’s why we’re taking a refreshed approach with these sessions to offer a more personal, informal, and shorter dialogue to re-energize your work and re-connect with fellow WiRE members.

Scott Glenn, Chief Energy Officer at Hawaii State Energy Office, joined WiRE as part of our Talk Story Series to answer some rapid-fire questions from Jordan Little, Senior Manager at Pacific Current, and discuss his 30 day, 6 month and 3 year plans for the State Energy Office.

October 29th 
12:00-12:45 pm

This session is part of a series of virtual conversations with leaders working on creating a future powered by renewable energy. Continuing through the end of the year, each 45-minute Zoom session will spotlight one leader who will share a personal glimpse into their leadership and career journey as well as their vision for our collective clean energy future.
We know that many of you are juggling multiple priorities and may be feeling fatigue with video conferencing and webinars. That’s why we’re taking a refreshed approach with these sessions to offer a more personal, informal, and shorter dialogue to re-energize your work and re-connect with fellow WiRE members.

Scott Seu, President & CEO of Hawaiian Electric joined WiRE as part of our Talk Story series to share a personal glimpse into his leadership and career journey and vision for our collective clean energy future.

WiRE members gathered for 2 half day sessions to learn about storytelling and effective communication through the Duarte Resonate Presentation Workshop. Regardless of individual specialties in the renewable energy landscape, we recognize the importance of effective communication and storytelling.

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Delivered live in four 90-minute sessions over two consecutive days, this highly interactive online learning experience keeps participants engaged and helps learning stick.

About Resonate:

For 30 years we researched history’s most effective speakers and speeches and created presentations for some of the world’s biggest companies. We found that transformational presentations use story principles. From those insights, we developed a persuasive presentation course to teach you how to resonate with your audience. During this instructor-led training, you’ll learn to apply lessons from story and cinema to structure your presentation, grab your audience’s attention, and initiate action.

*Seats will fill up quickly. If you are unable to register, please email wire[at]hawaiiwire.org to add your name to the waitlist.

Please join us for an informal networking dim sum lunch at Mandalay Restaurant in downtown Honolulu every first Friday of the month. Advance registration required.

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On August 5, 12:00-12:45pm we hosted our first virtual Talk Story Session with Representative Nicole Lowen, Chair of the House Committee on Energy & Environmental Protection in the Hawaii State Legislature. We learned about her childhood and international background and vision for the next 60 days, 6 months and 6 years.

We’re excited to announce WiRE Talk Story Sessions, a series of virtual conversations with leaders in Hawaii and across the country working on creating a future powered by renewable energy. Launched in August, and continuing through the end of 2020, each 45-minute Zoom session will spotlight one leader who will share a personal glimpse into their leadership and career journey as well as their vision for our collective clean energy future.

We know that many of you are juggling multiple priorities and may be feeling fatigue with video conferencing and webinars. That’s why we’re taking a refreshed approach with these sessions to offer a more personal, informal, and shorter dialogue to re-energize your work and re-connect with fellow WiRE members.

On March 4, 2020 WiRE hosted a breakfast and panel discussion with local leaders to explore their organizations’ priorities, their vision of Hawaii’s energy future and discuss how communities, industry and decision makers may best come together at ‘intersections’ to develop trusted partnerships and facilitate the planning and implementation of projects. More than 60 WiRE members joined the conversation.

Moderator:

• Ulalia Woodside, Executive Director, The Nature Conservancy of Hawai’i

The panelists include:

• Laurien “Lala” Nuss, Climate Resilience & Equity Manager OCCSR
• Stephany Vaioleti, Accessibility and Affordability Manager, Hawaii Energy
• Chris Yunker, Energy Systems and Planning Program Manager, Hawaii State Energy Office

Hawaii is a global thought-leader, forging ahead with the transformation of our energy future to one that is clean, resilient and equitable. A big step toward achieving these goals occurs with the implementation of projects that are in alignment with community priorities and vision. Finding balance at the Intersection of Land, Clean Energy and Indigeneity is critical to maintaining a path forward toward our transformative energy future.

UPDATE: Board nominations for 2019 are now closed.

Previous call for nominations:

We are happy to announce that we are expanding the WiRE Executive Board and are looking for passionate individuals who are interested in joining our current working board of dedicated women.

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• Amber Stone, Vice President of Business Development, Aloha Charge
• Margaret Larson, Transportation Energy Analyst, Hawaii State Energy Office, DBEDT
• Tandy Tabata, Senior Program Manager for Electrification of Transportation, Hawaiian Electric

On June 21, WiRE hosted a luncheon and workshop led by the author of the best-selling “Powerful Choices for Mid-Career Women” Dr. Phyllis Horner to offer WiRE members mid-career must-knows for long-term success. (more…)

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WiRE hosted a breakfast on February 8, 2019, which was a discussion with local experts exploring the role of hydrogen in the transition to clean energy and clean transportation. (more…)

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Maui WiRE hosted a pau hana gathering following the Maui Energy Conference on Thursday, March 15, 2018 at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center. (more…)

On February 27th, WiRE hosted a dynamic breakfast event exploring critical cyberinfrastructure risks and new technologies in a changing world. We discussed how machine learning, data analytics, and collaboration between utilities, industry, and universities can develop solutions. (more…)