Conference Draws Leaders in Energy Merger

by HEC Team | Mar 13, 2015 | 2015, News

A glimpse into Hawaii’s historic, proposed energy merger will be available at the upcoming Maui Energy Conference and Exhibition.

Two of the major players in the proposed merger of Hawaiian Electric Co. and NextEra Energy are delivering keynote addresses on the conference’s opening day on March 25, at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center.

Eric Gleason, president of NextEra Energy Transmission LLC, and Alan Oshima, president and CEO of HECO, will help launch the three-day conference set for March 25-27.

In December, the companies announced that NextEra would buy HEI in a 4.3 billion dollar acquisition deal. The proposed absorption of HEI into NextEra still needs approval of the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission.

Connie Lau, president and chief executive officer of Hawaiian Electric Industries, has described the merger as a “transformational opportunity” for Hawaii’s electric utilities to accelerate the shift away from traditional diesel-powered turbines to clean energy. Lau is also speaking at the conference on its second day.

NextEra is North America’s largest generator of wind and solar power. Wind and solar energy are both abundant but to a great extent not yet harnessed in Hawaii.

Gleason has said that NextEra has invested billions in clean energy development and has the expertise to bring that transformation to Hawaii. The company is roughly 14 times larger than Hawaiian Electric in terms of its earnings and total assets. This gives NextEra the capability to bring currently less-expensive liquefied natural gas to Hawaii—as an alternative to diesel fuel—while incorporating distributed solar and wind power alternatives.

The energy merger players and attendees at the conference will explore the evolving role of the electric utility through the lens of the customer. In a variety of sessions, national experts will discuss emerging trends in the electric utility industry and public policy that will shape customer choices including customer protection and engagement, renewable energy integration, microgrids, and demand response programs.

In its debut last year, the Maui Energy Conference drew industry, government and private leaders not just from Hawaii, but also places such as Colorado, California and even Japan. “Interests in the energy field goes beyond our shores,” said Jeanne Skog, President & CEO from Maui Economic Development Board. “This event features a variety of speakers actively engaged in electric utilities, renewable energy initiatives and business development.” With the support of a host of corporate partners, MEDB and the County of Maui are presenting the event.

The exhibition piece of the conference gives networking opportunities to participants who want to generate business, or connect and collaborate to address common issues and concerns.

Individuals with questions or interests in energy could also find the three-day professional conference compelling. Day two of the conference, for example, offers sessions with panelists speaking about “Consumer Protection: Who’s Looking Out for the Customer?” and “How can the Customer Become an Active Participant in the Energy Landscape?”

All together, the conference program highlights include eight breakout sessions with topics including: “The Customer of the 21st Century”; “Are We Seeing What They’re Seeing: Customer Perceptions on Energy”; “Advancing Toward Grid Modernization: Meeting Customer Needs”; “The Growth of Distribution Generation – Good or Bad for the Customer?”

The conference’s third day will move outdoors with two optional Maui Sustainability Mobile Workshops—a tour of Kaheawa Wind Farm and a tour of the Smart Grid Demonstration Project, JumpSMARTMaui, hosted by Hitachi Ltd.

Conference to Look at How Consumers View Energy

by HEC Team | Jan 29, 2015 | 2015, News

With island consumers paying more than double the national average per kilowatt hour for electricity, the second Maui Energy Conference + Exhibition comes at a time when Hawaii is seeing a revolutionary shift to renewable energy resources. The conference, presented by the County of Maui in partnership with Maui Economic Development Board, will be held March 25-27 at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center. The event is expected to draw individuals and businesses from across the state and the country.

At the inaugural 2014 conference, more than 200 recognized policy makers from state and federal government and the private sector gathered to talk candidly about the country’s changing energy landscape and its implications for power utilities and consumers. This time around, the 2015 event promises to explore the evolving role of the electric utility through the lens of the customer. Nationally recognized experts have been invited to speak about emerging trends in the electric utility industry and public policy shaping customer choices including customer engagement programs, distributed generation, microgrids, demand-response programs and renewables integration.

NextEra Energy Transmission President Eric Gleason and HECO President and CEO Alan Oshima have been tapped to give keynote remarks on the opening day of the conference. Hawaiian Electric and the Florida-based NextEra Energy announced a $4.3 billion merger late last year. The conference will also feature multiple sessions with a variety of panelists talking about a range of subjects from meeting the customer’s needs to both self-generate and manage electricity usage to protecting consumers in the new energy/customer choice paradigm. The conference is also offering sponsorship opportunities for companies and exhibit spaces for public and private groups to display products and services. An optional Maui Sustainability Mobile Workshop featuring the Smart Grid Demonstration Project, JumpSmartMaui, will be held on the final day of the conference. Conference fee is $395 prior to Feb. 15; $495 after Feb. 15; and $525 on site. The fee covers admittance to general sessions, exhibit venue, networking exhibit reception, continental breakfast and lunch for two days, and conference materials.