GOVERNOR’S LANAI COMMUNITY ADVISORY COUNCIL CONTINUES DISCUSSION ON HAWAII CLEAN ENERGY INITIATIVE

For Immediate Release: March 20, 2009

HONOLULU – The Governor’s Lanai Community Advisory Council will meet on Tuesday, March 24, 2009, 5:00 p.m. at the Lanai Senior Center, 309 Seventh Street, Lanai City. The public is invited to attend.

This month’s meeting will be a follow-up to the Council’s Feb. 24 meeting, which focused on the Lingle-Aiona Administration’s work to achieve energy independence through the Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative (HCEI). Ted Peck, energy administrator, Strategic Industries Division, and Joshua Strickler, facilitator of renewable energy projects, from the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism, both of whom spoke to the Council and the community last month about the HCEI, will discuss the recent agreement between Castle & Cooke, First Wind Hawaii, and Hawaiian Electric that could lead to large wind farms on Lanai and Molokai providing clean energy to Oahu. The agreement is part of the HCEI, a partnership between the State of Hawaii and the U.S. Department of Energy that seeks to move Hawaii toward having 70 percent of its energy come from clean energy sources by 2030.

Governor Linda Lingle created community advisory councils to give the neighbor islands a stronger voice in state government. The Lanai Community Advisory Council holds monthly public meetings on the fourth Tuesday of each month to seek community input and advise the Governor of important issues on Lanai. The advisory council also recommends potential nominees from Lanai to serve on state boards and commissions.

The members of the Governor’s Lanai Community Advisory Council are Christine Costales, Darlene Endrina, Michael Lopez, Matthew Mano and Douglas Rolefson.

Anyone requiring special assistance or accommodations to participate at this meeting may call (808) 586-0034. For additional information on Neighbor Island Community Advisory Councils, including meeting minutes and agendas, visit the Governor’s Web site at www.hawaii.gov/gov.

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For more information, contact:

Charen L. Ching
Governor’s Liaison Office
Phone: (808) 586-0001

Lenny Klompus
Senior Advisor – Communications
Phone: (808) 586-7708

Russell Pang
Chief of Media Relations
Phone: (808) 586-0043

GOVERNOR LINGLE ANNOUNCES AGREEMENT TO ADVANCE ‘BIG WIND’ PROJECTS

For Immediate Release: March 17, 2009

HONOLULU – Governor Linda Lingle along with Castle & Cooke, First Wind Hawaii and Hawaiian Electric Company today announced an agreement that could lead to large wind farms on both Lanai and Molokai providing clean energy to Oahu. These wind farms would feed into an inter-island cable system currently being discussed that could ultimately interconnect the major Hawaiian islands for increased grid reliability, security and consumer and business cost savings through access to renewables.

“This agreement can significantly help meet our goal of increasing energy independence for Hawaii by speeding up the addition of a large increment of clean energy onto the Oahu grid,” said Governor Lingle. “It shows that we are making real progress toward our clean energy goals by working together in the best interests of Hawaii.”

Under the energy agreement signed between the State of Hawaii and Hawaiian Electric in October 2008 as part of the Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative, Hawaiian Electric committed to increasing renewable energy statewide by 1,100 megawatts by 2030. A major piece of this objective included 400 megawatts of “Big Wind” added to Oahu’s grid from Lanai and/or Molokai by way of an undersea cable developed with the assistance of the State of Hawaii. This agreement defines how the parties can move forward together.

Castle & Cooke earlier announced plans to develop a 400 megawatt (MW) wind farm on Lanai. First Wind Hawaii, which built and operates the Kaheawa Wind Farm on Maui, has proposed a 300 to 400 MW wind farm on Molokai.

Through this agreement, both wind farm developers have concurred to smaller initial projects, each up to 200 MW. The agreement clears the way for both projects to move ahead to negotiate contracts to sell their energy to Hawaiian Electric Company on Oahu.

These contracts will require approval from the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission.

Both wind project developers will cooperate with Hawaiian Electric to research, promote and coordinate the reliable integration of the wind projects into the Oahu electric grid. As a variable power source, large amounts of wind added to a stand-alone grid, such as Oahu’s, poses unusual challenges to operating the island’s electric systems.

Both wind projects depend on the ability to transmit the electric power to Oahu from Lanai and/or Molokai. Thus, the developers will assist the state in planning the undersea cable and in planning needed interconnection facilities by Hawaiian Electric.

“We are all in agreement that time is of the essence if we are going to increase our energy security and protect our economy from continued excessive dependence on imported fossil fuel,” said Hawaii Energy Administrator Ted Peck. “Thus, all parties and the state have agreed to meet regularly to review progress on the respective wind farm projects, the inter-island cable and the Oahu interconnection lines.”

“At First Wind Hawaii, we welcome this agreement as a way to focus our energies on moving forward with another major project to complement our very successful Kaheawa Wind Farm and other projects we are now developing for Maui, Oahu and Kauai. This enables us to bring economies of scale to our wind development efforts as a major provider of clean, renewable energy for Hawaii,” said Paul Gaynor, president and CEO of First Wind Hawaii.

“Lanai already is the site of the largest photovoltaic farm in the state and this project will add significantly to the island’s clean energy contributions for Hawaii,” said Harry Saunders, president of Castle & Cooke Hawaii. “This agreement provides some certainty and assurances for us to continue to advance our wind farm proposal to harness Lanai’s wind resources. This will result in the creation of green jobs and economic opportunities for Lanai, while protecting its environment and its special sense of place for residents and visitors.”

“Castle and Cooke and First Wind deserve considerable credit for working together to help get more renewable energy online faster for our state,” said Hawaiian Electric Executive Vice President Robbie Alm. “These two wind projects are absolutely essential to meeting our Hawaii Clean Energy commitments and we are very pleased to be able to work with both developers to negotiate purchase power contracts as soon as possible.”

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For more information, contact:

Ted Liu
Director, DBEDT
Phone: (808) 586-2355

Lenny Klompus
Senior Advisor – Communications
Phone: (808) 586-7708

Russell Pang
Chief of Media Relations
Phone: (808) 586-0043

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY INCREASES FEDERAL COMMITMENT TO HAWAII’S CLEAN ENERGY INITIATIVE

For Immediate Release: March 17, 2009

HONOLULU – Governor Linda Lingle announced today that the U.S. Department of Energy (USDOE) has assigned two senior personnel from its National Renewable Energy Laboratory to assist the State of Hawaii in implementing the Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative (HCEI). The HCEI is a partnership between the USDOE and the state that was formed in January 2008 with the goal of having 70 percent of Hawaii’s energy come from clean sources by the year 2030.

“The assignment by the U.S. Department of Energy of senior personnel from its National Renewable Energy Laboratory to assist Hawaii in wind and solar systems integration and transmission and energy efficiency shows the federal government’s continuing commitment to the Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative,” said Governor Lingle.

Debra Lew and Paul Norton, who will be based in Hawaii, are senior engineers and project leaders from NREL. Based in Golden, Colorado, NREL is USDOE’s primary laboratory for renewable energy and energy efficiency research and development.

Lew, who will work with Hawaii’s utilities, brings a wealth of experience relating to the variability and uncertainty of wind and solar power on the electricity grid and its consequent operating and cost impacts. As a senior project leader with the National Wind Technology Center, Lew is leading the Western Wind and Solar Integration Study, the largest wind and solar integration study to date. She also has extensive experience in working with transmission planning groups on the deployment of renewable energy technologies. Lew also was the group manager for NREL’s Environmental and International Group, which focused on deployment of renewable energy technologies in developing countries, and the lead for NREL’s China program, which focused on rural electrification, policies and programs, wind integration, and renewable energy business development.

Norton will work with the Energy Efficiency Branch in the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism’s (DBEDT) State Energy Office. A senior engineer with NREL’s Center for Buildings and Thermal Systems, Norton brings 14 years of research experience focused in residential energy with an emphasis on the design and performance analysis of zero energy homes and communities.

Lew and Norton are the second and third national energy specialists to be assigned to assist Hawaii in implementing its energy independence efforts.

Since October 2006, under an Intergovernmental Personnel Act (IPA) agreement with the USDOE, Bill Parks, deputy director of research and development in USDOE’s Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability, has been assigned to DBEDT’s Strategic Industries Division. Parks has been instrumental in fostering increased coordination and collaboration between USDOE and Hawaii by and organizing strategic partnerships with the energy industry, federal agencies and private sector organizations.

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For more information, contact:

Ted Liu
Director, DBEDT
Phone: (808) 586-2355

Lenny Klompus
Senior Advisor – Communications
Phone: (808) 586-7708

Russell Pang
Chief of Media Relations
Phone: (808) 586-0043

GOVERNOR’S WEST HAWAII COMMUNITY ADVISORY COUNCIL TO FOCUS ON HAWAII CLEAN ENERGY INITIATIVE

For Immediate Release: March 5, 2009

HONOLULU – The Governor’s West Hawaii Community Advisory Council will meet on Wednesday, March 11, 2009, at the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii Authority (NELHA) Gateway Center, at 73-4460 Queen Kaahumanu Highway #101 in Kailua-Kona. The meeting begins at 5:30 p.m.

Ted Peck, energy administrator, Strategic Industries Division from the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism will discuss the Lingle-Aiona Administration’s work to achieve energy independence through the Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative (HCEI). The HCEI, a partnership between the State of Hawaii and the U.S. Department of Energy, in collaboration with Hawaiian Electric companies, the business and academic sectors, the Legislature, the counties, the military and the community, seeks to move Hawaii toward having 70 percent of its energy use come from clean energy sources by 2030.

“The Governor encourages the public to attend the meeting and share any concerns or suggestions they may have regarding efforts to develop solutions to increase Hawaii’s energy independence, especially innovative ways to utilize the Big Island’s abundant supply of renewable energy sources,” said Andy Smith, the Governor’s West Hawaii Liaison.

Governor Linda Lingle created community advisory councils to give the neighbor islands a stronger voice in state government. The West Hawaii Community Advisory Council holds monthly public meetings to seek community input and advise the Governor of important issues and recommendations for state boards and commissions.

Members of the Governor’s West Hawaii Community Advisory Council are Rick Vidgen, Estela Halverson, Lei Kihoi, Glennon Gingo, Dale Fergerstrom and Elaine Watai from Kona; Doug Carr from Waikoloa; Joanne Ralston from Kapaau; and Beverly Byouk from Ocean View.

Anyone requiring special assistance or accommodations to participate at this meeting may call 327-4953. For additional information on neighbor island councils of advisors, including meeting minutes and agendas, visit the Governor’s Web site at www.hawaii.gov/gov.

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For more information, contact:

Andy Smith
Governor’s Liaison – West Hawai‘i
Phone: (808) 327-4953

Lenny Klompus
Senior Advisor – Communications
Phone: (808) 586-7708

Russell Pang
Chief of Media Relations
Phone: (808) 586-0043

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