Author: Yvonne Hunter

ANNUAL HAWAI‘I GREEN BUSINESS AWARDS PROGRAM HONORS HAWAII BUSINESSES AND EVENTS FOR GREEN PRACTICES

January 14, 2022

HONOLULU — A total of 14 venues and events were recognized today for undertaking energy efficiency and sustainable business practices that will help their bottom line while advancing Hawai‘i’s clean energy and sustainability goals.

Gov. David Ige and first lady Dawn Amano-Ige praised the awardees for their commitment to conserving energy and water, reducing waste, and protecting Hawai‘i’s environment. “It is an honor to present these awards that recognize the commitment and hard work done by businesses and organizations to make Hawaii more sustainable,” said Ige. “Not only do their achievements keep utility costs down and create a more sustainable environment for them individually as businesses, they also are collectively contributing to Hawaii’s clean energy goals.”

“It is important that we all work together to build a clean and sustainable Hawai‘i, not only for us on this forum, but for future generations. The Hawai‘i Green Business Program is one aspect of this important effort in achieving our goals,” added Amano-Ige.

The awardees were recognized during the annual HGBP awards ceremony, which was held virtually for the second time due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The ceremony was hosted by the Hawai‘i State Energy Office, the Hawaii State Department of Health, and the Honolulu Board of Water Supply. The HGBP, which was created by the Hawai‘i State Energy Office and the Department of Health in 2002, provides technical assistance to businesses, government agencies and nonprofits seeking to operate in a more environmentally and socially responsible manner.

“As we enter into the third year of the COVID-19 pandemic, we remain acutely aware of how vulnerable Hawai‘i is to things like volatile fuel and electricity prices, energy supply disruptions, rising sea levels and threats to our fragile ecosystem,” said Hawai‘i Chief Energy Officer Scott Glenn. “The Hawai‘i Green Business Program helps address these issues by creating a profitable public-private partnership between business, government and a concerned public.”

The honorees of this year’s Hawai‘i Green Business Program Awards are:

• Kings’ Land by Hilton Grand Vacations
• Outrigger Reef Waikiki Beach Resort
• Outrigger Waikiki Beach Resort
• OHANA Waikiki East by Outrigger
• Waikiki Malia by Outrigger
• Waikiki Beachcomber by Outrigger
• The Westin Nanea Ocean Villas
• The Volcano House
• Prince Waikiki
• The Hawai‘i Convention Center
• University of Hawai‘i, Maui College
• Honeywell
• 2021 Sony Open
• 2021 Sentry Tournament of Champions

The businesses and events honored at this year’s HGBP awards ceremony undertook a wide array of green initiatives that included planting native and endemic plants to reduce the need for excessive irrigation, using low-flow faucets and shower heads to reduce water consumption, installing LED lights and solar panels, recycling paper and food scraps, and implementing incentives to encourage employees to commute by bike.

For more information on the Hawaii Green Business Program, visit greenbusiness.hawaii.gov/ 

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HSEO EXPANDS FOCUS ON CLEAN TRANSPORTATION WITH ADDITION OF VEHICLE MILES TRAVELED/ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION SPECIALIST

December 7, 2021

HONOLULU — The Hawai‘i State Energy Office announced today that Kiana Otsuka has joined HSEO as the Vehicle Miles Traveled/Active Transportation Specialist. Otsuka will focus on the development and implementation of strategies to reduce vehicle miles traveled (VMT) through mode-shift, active transportation, and other associated means.

“A key way to change to clean energy and reduce emissions is to avoid using energy in the first place, like we do with buildings and turning off the lights. The same goes for clean transportation,” said Scott Glenn, chief energy officer. “Kiana will be working with communities to help save energy by doing more walking, biking, and using public transportation as well as helping the state shift to more EVs.”

The position is funded through a two-year grant from the U.S. Climate Alliance and was created in collaboration with the State Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Commission. The VMT specialist is also responsible for helping to initiate and guide the work in the multi-modal mobility hub proposal that is funded in part through a grant from the O‘ahuMPO Overall Work Program to assess State parking facilities for additional clean mobility options that maximize public benefit.

“Kiana’s diverse experience in community engagement, analysis, and transportation planning here in Hawai‘i adds further depth and knowledge to our team to tackle clean transportation comprehensively,” added Chris Yunker, managing director, resiliency, clean transportation, and analytics.

Otsuka joins HSEO from the O‘ahu Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) where she worked as a Transportation Planner and served as the MPO’s representative for the Department of Health’s Transportation Equity Steering Committee, State Climate Change Social Vulnerability Framework Hui, State Climate Change Commission’s VMT Project, Mayor’s Advisory Committee on Bicycling, Transportation Equity Hui, and other active transportation and VMT reduction activities. She also worked as a public policy and research analyst in London, England.

Otsuka holds a master’s degree in Regional and Urban Planning Studies from the London School of Economics and Political Science in the U.K. and an undergraduate degree in Political Science from Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, CA. An O‘ahu native, she is active in several community organizations including Malama Maunalua and the Surfrider Foundation.

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About the Hawaii State Energy Office

The Hawaii State Energy Office (HSEO) is an attached agency of the state’s Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism. The HSEO’s mission is to promote energy efficiency, renewable energy, and clean transportation to help achieve a resilient, clean energy, decarbonized economy. Toward this end, the HSEO is developing policies and programs to achieve our energy and climate change goals while identifying strategies that create jobs, lower costs, and improve quality of life in Hawaii. For more information, visit energy.hawaii.gov

MEDIA CONTACT:
Claudia Rapkoch
Public Affairs Officer
Hawaiʻi State Energy Office
(808) 460-5998
[email protected]