STATE OF HAWAII HONORED WITH NATIONAL ENERGY AWARD FOR THIRD CONSECUTIVE YEAR

For Immediate Release: September 2, 2014

HONOLULU — Hawaii was recognized for the third consecutive year by the Energy Services Coalition as the nation’s leader for per capita investment in energy performance contracting (EPC), an innovative financing tool that allows government buildings to achieve significant energy efficiency savings without paying total capital expenses up front.

“Whether it is through our efforts in energy efficiency or our renewable energy projects, Hawaii continues to demonstrate its leadership in clean energy,” said Gov. Neil Abercrombie. “Our clean energy agenda benefits our environment, creates good jobs, grows local businesses and reduces the amount of dollars sent overseas to buy imported oil.”

EPC uses the savings from upgrades such as digital controls for energy systems, and lighting, plumbing and air conditioning improvements to repay the cost of installing the equipment. The costs of the energy upgrades are borne by the performance contractor and paid back out of the energy savings. The Energy Services Coalition in its annual Race to the Top program ranks the 50 states based the amount invested in performance contracts for government buildings. Hawaii led the nation this year with $235.74 invested per capita.

The Aloha State was well ahead of second place Delaware with EPC investment of $154 per capita and third place Ohio at $108.58 per capita. The $320.68 million in EPC contracts awarded in Hawaii since the program’s inception has resulted in the creation of 3,486 “job years” and an energy savings of nearly $900 million over the life of the contracts, according to the Energy Services Coalition.

“Hawaii’s top ranking in Race to the Top recognizes our efforts to mobilize investment in high-impact energy efficiency projects that are helping state achieve its energy efficiency targets,” said Richard Lim, director of the State Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism. “The technical assistance we provide in the area of performance contracting is one of many initiatives developed by DBEDT to accelerate the growth of Hawaii’s clean energy economy.”

The State Energy Office has been providing technical assistance for performance contracting to state agencies and counties since 1996. The EPC projects vary widely and include courthouses, community colleges, hospitals, prisons, and airports.

“We’ve challenged ourselves and our agency partners — as some of Hawaii’s largest energy consumers — to lead by example and push the limits of energy performance contracting,” said Mark Glick, State Energy Office Administrator. “Our drive to take on high-impact EPC projects is fueled by our commitment to the Clinton Global Initiative America and to the U.S. Department of Energy’s Better Buildings Initiative to sharply increase the value of such contracts by the end of this fiscal year. We will hit this target in large part thanks to the leadership of Ford Fuchigami and his team at the Department of Transportation-Airports Division, who are overseeing a $150 million contract to deliver energy savings at the state’s 12 airports.”

For more information on Hawaii’s ESPC projects, visit https://energy.hawaii.gov/energy-performance-contracting. To see the complete Race to the Top list, visit https://www.energyservicescoalition.org/espc/table.

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About the Energy Services Coalition
ESC is a national nonprofit organization, composed of a network of experts from a wide range of organizations, working together at the state and local levels to increase energy efficiency and building upgrades through energy savings performance contracting.

The Hawaii State Energy Office is leading the state’s charge toward clean energy independence. With a goal to meet and exceed Hawaii’s 70 percent clean energy targets by 2030, the State Energy Office is committed to developing and deploying high impact solutions that will maximize Hawaii’s renewable energy resources and improve efficiency and transportation standards. Through effective policies and innovative programs, the State Energy Office has positioned Hawaii as a leading proving ground for clean energy innovation, which will generate quality jobs, attract investment opportunities and accelerate economic growth. The State Energy Office is a division of the state’s Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism. For more information, visit www.energy.hawaii.gov.

For more information, contact:

MEDIA CONTACT:
Alan Yonan Jr.
Communications Officer
DBEDT State Energy Office
(808) 587-3860
[email protected]

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