STATE OF HAWAII TO PROVIDE ENERGY STAR TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO HOTELS

For Immediate Release: February 11, 2010

HONOLULU—In support of the Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative’s (HCEI) energy efficiency goals, the State of Hawaii is providing technical assistance to hotels statewide to enhance energy efficiency in the state’s tourism industry by attaining or renewing an ENERGY STAR building label.

To provide these businesses with the technical support they need to meet the ENERGY STAR standards, the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism’s (DBEDT) State Energy Office is soliciting request for proposals (RFPs) for technical assistance.

ENERGY STAR is a program developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Energy to promote energy cost savings and environmental protection through energy efficient products and practices. The ENERGY STAR label is available for buildings as well as for major appliances, office equipment, lighting and other electronics.

“We encourage hotels statewide to partner with the State in receiving technical assistance that can help them become more energy efficient,” said Governor Linda Lingle. “Earning an ENERGY STAR involves implementing energy-efficiency measures that will help save businesses money on utility bills while decreasing Hawaii’s dependence on imported oil and strengthening our state’s energy security.”

The ENERGY STAR program offers a proven energy management strategy that assists in measuring current energy performance, setting energy-savings goals, tracking savings and offering incentives for improvements. The EPA reports that in 2008 the energy saved through the ENERGY STAR program nationwide avoided greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those from 29 million cars, while saving Americans $19 billion on their utility bills.

ENERGY STAR’s Role in the Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative
Hawaii is the most oil-dependent state in the nation and currently pays the highest electricity prices in the United States. This high utility cost is directly related to Hawaii’s oil dependency, accounting for over 77 percent of the state’s electricity generation. Incorporating and expanding energy-efficient products and practices into the hotel and resort industry is a major step toward greater energy efficiency for the state, which is vital to achieving Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative’s ambitious clean energy goal.

Announced by Governor Lingle two years ago, HCEI is an unprecedented partnership between the State of Hawaii and the U.S. Department of Energy that aims to have 70 percent of the Hawaii’s energy come from clean sources by 2030. Of that, 30 percent must come from energy-efficiency measures. The HCEI partnership has received considerable national and international interest as a clean energy model for other states and nations.

“Hawaii’s hotels and resorts have made great strides in implementing energy-efficiency initiatives,” said State Tourism Liaison Marsha Wienert. “We have already seen many innovative programs implemented by Hawaii’s visitor industry. Technical assistance in benchmarking, planning, training and expert guidance on efficiency measures will further demonstrate that ‘going green’ can be a business benefit as well.”

Objectives for ENERGY STAR Implementation
The RFP for ENERGY STAR technical assistance will be funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Stimulus Fund. Proposals by independent contractors to assist with implementing or renewing ENERGY STAR programs in hotels will be reviewed by the State. The selected contractors will advise hotel engineers, managers and owners on ways to benchmark, plan, implement and oversee projects involving the ENERGY STAR program; develop materials and conduct training for hotel personnel; and provide selection criteria, written reports, metrics, evaluations and recommendations for participation and recognition in the ENERGY STAR program.

For more information on the RFP go to: governmentnotices.state.hi.us and click on State & County Procurement Notices.

For more information on the ENERGY STAR program, visit www.energystar.gov or www.hawaiicleanenergyinitiative.org/work.html.

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For more information, contact:

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

Ted Peck
State Energy Administrator
Phone: (808) 587-3812

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