IMAGINING A JUST RECOVERY. WHAT WOULD THAT LOOK LIKE FOR THE GRID?
On July 30th the Hawaii Energy Conference went virtual for a robust discussion of how the energy sector can and should respond to our current challenges by creating a “just” electrical grid.
The Hawaii Energy Conference understands our energy systems do not exist in a vacuum. COVID-19 has laid bare the stark reality of pre-existing inequalities in our society. The elderly, the poor, and minorities have suffered tremendously in the pandemic’s wake. Peaceful, sometimes violent, forms of protest make it painfully evident that an equitable or just recovery is the only path forward to heal our communities.
Not everything is bad news. The planet experienced an unexpected respite from air pollution, and a slowdown in carbon loading to the atmosphere. But the lessened impact to our ecosystem came at an extraordinary economic cost. As we move forward, what strategies will policy makers and regulators use to achieve results that benefit broad swaths of society? How will utilities and companies in the energy sector contribute?
Download the 2020 Virtual Program
Video Replays
Program at a Glance
E KOMO MAI (Welcome)
FEATURED PRESENTATION | Why Energy Matters… Especially to the Electric Company | Scott Seu, President and CEO, Hawaiian Electric Company
PANEL | COVID and the Commissions | Moderated by Jennifer Potter, Commissioner, Hawaii Public Utilities Commission
THE MACROECONOMICS OF CHANGE | Presented by Hawaii Clean Power Alliance
PANEL | Solar Jobs – Being Part of the Solution | Moderated by Will Giese, Executive Director, Hawaii Solar Energy Association
WHY WE SHOULD ALL BE TALKING MORE ABOUT PERFORMANCE BASED REGULATION | Presented by Ulupono Initiative
PANEL | Develop With Us, Not For Us | Moderated by Rachel James, Attorney, Hawaii Public Utilities Commission
PANEL | Leadership Toward a Just Grid | Moderated by Jonathan Koehn, Chief Sustainability & Resilience Officer, City of Boulder
CLOSING
Meet the 2020 Program Committee
Caroline Carl | Deputy Director, Hawaii Energy
Colton Ching | Senior Vice President, Planning & Technology, Hawaiian Electric
Frank De Rego Jr. | Vice Chair, Conference Program Committee; Director of Business Development Projects, Maui Economic Development Board, Inc.
Alex De Roode | Energy Commissioner, Office of Economic Development County of Maui
William Giese | Executive Director, Hawaii Solar Energy Association
Jonathan Koehn | Chief Sustainability & Resilience Officer, City of Boulder
Doug McLeod | Chair, Conference Program Committee; Member, DKK Energy Services, LLC
Jennifer Potter | Commissioner, Hawaii Public Utilities Commission
Tricia Rohlfing | Vice President of Finance, Hawaii Pacific Solar