Month: April 2012

For Immediate Release: April 18, 2012

SEOUL, KOREA – Lt. Governor Brian Schatz met with key South Korean industrial leaders who reaffirmed their commitment to pursue an advanced Smart Grid development project in Hawaii.

On Wednesday, Lt. Governor Schatz sat down with representatives of the Republic of Korea’s Ministry of Knowledge and Economy (MKE), who said they hoped to finalize a collaboration agreement with the state in the next few months.

“Although our energy sources are different, we are both committed to reducing our dependence on foreign fossil fuels, but need to make some breakthroughs on our electricity system,” Lt. Governor Schatz said.

“By sharing information and collaborating, we can attract capital to Hawaii and allow our clean energy goals to become a reality.”

In February, Gov. Neil Abercombie and MKE Director Kyu-Chong Choi signed a letter of intent to pursue mutual interests in Smart Grid developments in the islands. MKE and its Korea Smart Grid Institute (KSGI) have been at the forefront of the Korea Smart Grid Roadmap, South Korea’s plan to develop and implement a nationwide smart grid by 2030.

The MKE and KSGI are currently leading more than 170 South Korean companies in the development and deployment of the Jeju Island Test Bed, a planned 6,000 household smart grid community demonstration project in South Korea, with investments totaling more than $240 million.

According to Schatz, the Korean government and its private companies are interested inHawaii because of its high penetration of clean, intermittent energy on a relatively small grid.

On Thursday, Lt. Gov. Schatz will tour the Jeju Island Test Bed and will visit the nearby Undersea Power Cable Site developed by LS Cable.

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Media Contact:
Rick Daysog
Chief Communications Officer
State Energy Office, DBEDT
(808) 587-9006

For Immediate Release: April 13, 2012

HONOLULU–Securing Hawaii’s clean energy future and expanding the state’s green economy will be the central theme of Lt. Governor Brian Schatz’s April 14-21 trip to Japan and South Korea.

Building on the momentum of last year’s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit, Lt. Governor Schatz will meet with Japanese and South Korean industrial leaders during his seven-day trip to discuss existing clean energy partnerships in Hawaii and ways to bolster those ventures.

“Through our strategic alliances with Japan, Korea and others, Hawaii has become a leading incubator for the global clean energy industry,” said Lt. Governor Schatz.

“It’s important to build on these relationships and move to the next level of deploying utility-scale renewable projects to help Hawaii reach its goal of becoming 70 percent energy independent by 2030.”

Last year, Governor Neil Abercrombie and officials from Japan’s New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) signed a memorandum of understanding that formalized the $37 million Smart Grid Demonstration Project on the island of Maui.

In February, Governor Abercrombie signed a letter of intent with officials from Republic of Korea’s Ministry of Knowledge Economy (MKE) to pursue a joint smart grid demonstration project in the islands.

In Tokyo, Lt. Governor Schatz will meet with NEDO and Ministry of Economy, Trade & Industry (METI) officials to discuss the Maui Smart Grid and other Hawaii projects. He also will meet with the President of the Japan Red Cross, Tadateru Konoe, and former APEC Ambassador Kurt Tong, who now serves as Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Japan.

Executives from Hitachi Ltd. also will brief the Lieutenant Governor on the progress of the Maui Smart Grid project.

In Seoul, Lt. Governor Schatz will meet with MKE officials and executives with Hyundai Motor Co. and LS Cable, one of the world’s foremost undersea cable companies.

The Lieutenant Governor will also travel to Jeju Island off the southern coast of Korea to meet with Korea Smart Grid Institute representatives. The Korean government selected the island for the Jeju Smart Grid Testbed, which is the country’s leading testing site for smart grid technologies.

Lt. Governor Schatz will return to Honolulu on Saturday.

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Media Contact:
Rick Daysog
Chief Communications Officer
State Energy Office, DBEDT
(808) 587-9006