We had so much to talk about, as we celebrated the 10th anniversary of the Hawaii Energy Conference. Finally back live and in person at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center May 24-25, 2023.
Is getting to 100 % Renewables still desirable, still doable, still worth the price?
How can we get clean energy projects permitted, interconnected, and operational in a reasonable period of time?
What is the next step in our efforts toward decarbonized energy, and what role does hydrogen play?
What are the energy related priorities of the Hawai’i Legislature and the Governor?
What is Energy Equity and how do we achieve it in the pursuit of state energy goals such as 100% renewables and net-zero greenhouse gas emissions?
Registration and Continental Breakfast | Co-Sponsored by Hawaii Energy
8:00 AM – 9:15 AM
E KOMO MAI (WELCOME)
KEYNOTE ADDRESS
Daphne Frias, Youth Climate Justice Activist
9:15 AM – 9:45 AM
Coffee Break and Exhibit Session Break (30 min) | Co-sponsored by AES
9:45 AM – 10:45 AM
10:45 AM – 11:00 AM
11:00 AM – 11:45 AM
Panel | Empowering Residents: Community-Engaged Approaches to Renewable Energy
Invited Talk | Ideas for How More People Can Benefit from Energy Efficiency and Solar Energy
Panel | Recent Activity in the Hawaii Legislature
11:45 AM – 1:15 PM
Networking Lunch & Exhibit Session (90 min) | Co-Sponsored by Hawaiian Electric
1:15 PM – 2:15 PM
2:15 PM – 2:30 PM
2:30 PM – 3:30 PM
Panel | Coalition Building and New Ideas
Invited Talk | Local Workforce Needs
Panel | Project permits: How are they affecting Hawaii’s Transition Goals?
3:30 PM – 4:00 PM
Coffee Break (30 min)| Co-Sponsored by Par Hawaii
4:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Panel | What does the Data Say?
5:00 PM – 6:30 PM
Networking Reception | Co-Sponsored by Johnson Controls
Thursday, May 25
7:00 AM – 8:00 AM
Registration and Continental Breakfast | Co-Sponsored by Brookfield Renewable US
8:00 AM – 8:45 AM
Welcome to Day 2
Featured Talk | Sharing our Visions, Opportunities and Challenges in the Energy Industry
Alicia Moy, President & CEO, Hawaii Gas and Shelee Kimura, President & CEO, Hawaiian Electric
8:45 AM – 9:15 AM
Coffee Break and Exhibit Session Break (30 min) | Co-Sponsored by Burns & McDonnell
9:15 AM – 10:15 AM
10:15 AM – 10:30 AM
10:30 AM – 11:30 AM
Panel | Developers’ Roundtable
Invited Talk | Energy Equity Docket
Panel | Using H2 in HI
11:30 AM – 1:00 PM
Networking Lunch & Exhibit Session (90 min)| Co-Sponsored by FranklinWH
1:00 PM – 2:00 PM
2:00 PM – 2:15 PM
2:15 PM – 3:15 PM
Panel | Decarbonization Pathways: How Will Hawaii Achieve its Goals and What can we Learn from Others
Invited Talk | What’s in the Pipeline
Panel | Risks and Benefits of Energy Storage
3:15 PM – 3:45 PM
Coffee Break (30 min) |
3:45 PM – 4:45 PM
Panel | Time To Reconsider Geothermal
4:45 PM – 5:00 PM
Closing
5:00 PM – 6:30 PM
Women in Renewable Energy (WIRE) Pau Hana
2023 Program Committee
Meet the Program Committee
Colton Ching | Senior Vice President, Planning & Technology, Hawaiian Electric Celeste Connors| Executive Director, Hawaii Green Growth Jacqui Hoover | Chair, Conference Program Committee; Executive Director and COO Hawaii Island Economic Development Board (HIEDB); and President Hawaii Leeward Planning Jonathan Koehn | Chief Sustainability & Resilience Officer, City of Boulder Doug McLeod |Member, DKK Energy Services, LLC Robert “Rocky” Mould | Executive Director, Hawaii Solar Energy Association Maria Tome | Managing Director, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Hawaii State Energy Office Stephany Vaioleti | Community Engagement Navigator, Hawaii Energy Wren Wescoatt | Director of Development, Hawaii Longroad Energy Jennifer Zelko-Schlueter | Director, Government and Community Relations, Hawaiian Electric
Electrification: Where are we now? What does the future hold?
The 9th Annual Hawaii Energy Conference revisited the challenges of electrifying the grid and transportation – current successes, potential pitfalls, and future opportunities.
There is no doubt that the push to Electrification will affect our way of life.
A study by Princeton University predicted that by 2050 electrifying transport and buildings could double the amount of electricity consumption in the U.S. Amy Myers Jaffe, a research professor at Tuft’s University, boldly declared in the Wall Street Journal, “The electrification of (almost) everything is coming, and we’re just not ready for it.”
Our communities will need to develop disciplined, proportional responses to the challenges Electrification poses. Strategies for energy efficiency and the equitable distribution of Electrification’s benefits must balance building capacity for increased consumption.
The two-day discussion reviewed the issues surrounding electrification with the following thoughts in mind:
How do we define “electrification” and is it the same everywhere?
How are the community’s needs and concerns being addressed as the infrastructure for electrification become more prevalent?
How is resilience being brought into the equation of electrification?
What has been and will be the impact of COVID-19 on customers of the utility?
What should the climate goals of electrification be – net zero carbon, net negative carbon, or zero emissions?
What is the role of energy efficiency in electrification? …and more
KEYNOTE ADDRESS When Tradewinds Blow: Maintaining Course during the Energy Transition Abigail Anthony, Commissioner, Rhode Island Public Utilities Commission
8:45
PANEL | The Community and Electrification
9:30
SPOTLIGHT TALK | Electrification and Energy Efficiency
9:45
Networking & Refreshment Break (15 min)
10:00
PANEL | Electrification and Transportation
11:30
End of Day One
THURSDAY JUNE 24
7:45 AM HST
Morning Energizer/Meet the Exhibitors
8:00
WELCOME TO DAY TWO
8:10
KEYNOTE ADDRESS Amy Meyers Jaffe, Research Professor and Managing Director of the Climate Policy Lab, The Fletcher School, Tufts University
8:35
PANEL | Electrification and Carbon: It’s a Math Problem
9:20
SPOTLIGHT TALK | Community Based Renewable Energy and the Path to Electrification
9:40
Networking & Refreshment Break (15 min)
9:55
PANEL | The Role of Electrification in a Climate Resilient Future
10:45
A Conversation with Shelee Kimura, President & CEO, Hawaiian Electric
11:10
PANEL | Systemic Shocks and the Changing Pace of Electrification
11:50
CONFERENCE CLOSING
12:00 PM
End of Day Two
2022 Program Committee
Colton Ching | Senior Vice President, Planning & Technology, Hawaiian Electric Frank De Rego Jr. | Co-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 Jacqui Hoover | Co Chair, Conference Program Committee; Executive Director and COO Hawaii Island Economic Development Board (HIEDB); and President Hawaii Leeward Planning Jonathan Koehn | Chief Sustainability & Resilience Officer, City of Boulder Doug McLeod |Member, DKK Energy Services, LLC Robert “Rocky” Mould | Executive Director, Hawaii Solar Energy Association Tricia Rohlfing | Vice President of Finance, Hawaii Pacific Solar Maria Tome | Managing Director, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Hawaii State Energy Office
The Energy Transition in Hawaii: Focus on investments in people and projects
There are many ways to invest in the future of energy in Hawaii. It will take creativity and hard work from project developers; the community, including indigenous groups; regulators; and energy service providers to come up with projects that are acceptable for all concerned. Building trust and respect between stakeholders within the context of equitable community development will be a key metric of success. Any viable project will require substantial amounts of financial capital and an adequate return on investment. The skill development and job creation that results must take us towards a new energy economy. Every community faces similar challenges – how can we invest in people while designing energy projects that are financially viable, resilient, and enhance job skills?
The 8th Annual Hawaii Energy Conference was held virtually 22 and 24 June exploring how to invest with knowledge and respect in Hawaii.
KEYNOTE | CREATING TRANSFORMATIVE & INCLUSIVE INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES WITH VIRTUAL POWER PLANTS Suleman Khan, CEO, Swell Energy
PANEL | INVESTING RESPECTFULLY IN HAWAII
PANEL | DISTRIBUTED ENERGY RESOURCES: CLEAN, AFFORDABLE, AND RESILIENT POWER FOR A CARBON-FREE ENERGY FUTURE
PANEL | HOW WILL ESG AFFECT ENERGY INVESTMENT IN HAWAII?
INTERVIEW | PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSIONER JENNIFER POTTER
PANEL | POSSIBLE FEDERAL DECARBONIZATION STANDARDS – HOW COULD THAT CHANGE POLICIES, PLANS, RULES, AND REGULATION IN HAWAII? – Sponsored by Hawaiian Electric
SPOTLIGHT TALK | INVESTING IN EVs – Sponsored by Ulupono Initiative
THURSDAY JUNE 24
WELCOME TO DAY TWO
INVITED TALK | STOP OVERPAYING FOR SOLAR: AND OTHER PATHWAYS TO AFFORDABLE BILLS Mark Toney, Executive Director, The Utility Reform Network (TURN)
HAWAII’S INCLUSIVE ENERGY TRANSITION
COMMUNITY INSIGHTS: DIFFERENT VIEWS, SIMILAR GOALS
SPOTLIGHT TALK | HYDROGEN
PANEL | CARBON PRICING
INTERVIEW WITH DAWN LIPPERT, ELEMENTAL EXCELERATOR
PANEL | HOW TO MEASURE THE ENERGY BURDEN AND DESIGNING PROGRAMS FOR ENERGY EFFICIENCY POST-COVID
PANEL | DEPLOYING UTILITY-SCALE RENEWABLE ENERGY PROJECTS ACROSS THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS: HIGHLIGHTS AND COMPARISONS FROM INDIVIDUAL ISLANDS
CONFERENCE CLOSING
Meet the 2021 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 Jonathan Koehn| Chief Sustainability & Resilience Officer, City of Boulder Doug McLeod| Chair, Conference Program Committee; Member, DKK Energy Services, LLC Robert “Rocky” Mould | Executive Director, Hawaii Solar Energy Association Tricia Rohlfing | Vice President of Finance, Hawaii Pacific Solar Maria Tome | Managing Director, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Hawaii State Energy Office
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
In its sixth year, the Energy Conference on Maui was renamed the Hawaii Energy Conference (HEC) to reflect what it has always been–the premier Energy Conference in Hawaii focused on statewide interests as seen through the prism of national and international developments in energy.
Hawaii has experienced enormous growth in distributed energy resources, primarily photovoltaic systems. This year’s conference will take an in-depth look at the innovative policies and technologies that continue to allow rapid growth in PV, and will compare Hawaii solutions with those in Colorado, California and other states. We will also ask what the right blend of fossil fuel and renewable energy sources is for the portion of our economy not covered by the Renewable Portfolio Standard. Come join the discussion at one of the nation’s leading energy conferences.
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. William Giese| Executive Director, Hawaii Solar Energy Association Jonathan Koehn| Senior Sustainability Policy Advisor, City of Boulder Dawn Lippert| Chief Executive Officer, Elemental Excelerator Doug McLeod| Chair, Conference Program Committee; Member, DKK Energy Services, LLC Jennifer Potter| Commissioner, Hawaii Public Utilities Commission Frederick Redell | Co-Founder and Managing Member, BlüNebü
Decarbonization: A Business Opportunity for Innovative Communities
2018 marks a year of milestones as we celebrate the 5th Anniversary of the Maui Energy Conference and the 10th Anniversary of the Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative. Hawaii led the way in setting a 100% Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS). Did we set the right targets? What can we learn from energy leaders from around the globe?
Decarbonization presents innovative communities, from Hawaii to New York, with new business opportunities. The conference will explore possibilities including: voluntary and mandatory options for reducing carbon; what a decarbonized grid looks like; the utility business model best suited to reach carbon reduction goals; curtailing carbon emissions in the transportation sector; the role of agriculture in a carbon reduction strategy; and more.
Photos Day 1, Wed Mar 14Videos – Day 1, Wed Mar 14
Photos Day 2, Thurs, Mar 15Videos – Day 2, Thurs Mar 15
PRESENTATIONS
DAY 1 | Wednesday, March 14, 2018
KEYNOTE ADDRESS | Hawaii as a Climate Leader Introduction by Doug McLeod, Chair, Conference Program Committee Representative Chris Lee, Chair, House Committee on Energy and Environmental, State of Hawaii
THE LIMITS OF THE HAWAII CLEAN ENERGY INITIATIVE Moderated by William Giese, Executive Director, Hawaii Solar Energy Association Hermina Morita, Energy Dynamics Alan Oshima, President and Chief Executive Officer, Hawaiian Electric Company Gerald Sumida, Partner, Carlsmith Ball LLP
BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES CREATED BY HCEI Moderated by Luis Salaveria, Director, Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism, State of Hawaii | (video) Kyle Datta, General Partner, Ulupono Initiative Dawn Lippert, Chief Executive Officer, Elemental Excelerator | (video) Wren Wescoatt, Principal, 7 Generation Consulting
CONVERGENCE: HOW IT ALL COMES TOGETHER Moderated by Scott Seu, Senior Vice President of Public Affairs, Hawaiian Electric Company Stacey Crowley, Vice President, Regional and Federal Affairs, California Independent System Operator Corporation (CAISO) Martha Symko-Davies, Laboratory Program Manager, Energy Systems Integration, National Renewable Energy Laboratory Mike Yamane, Chief of Operations, Kauai Island Utility Cooperative
HAWAII ENERGY VIDEO: REDUCING CARBON THROUGH ENERGY EFFICIENCY Presented by Caroline Carl, Deputy Director, Hawaii Energy
STORAGE TECHNOLOGIES: A REVIEW OF ALL THE OPTIONS Moderated by Kelly Speakes-Backman, CEO, Energy Storage Association Mark Stout, Vice President, Project Development, Amber Kinetics Boris von Bormann, CEO, Mercedes-Benz Energy Americas, LLC Jon Yoshimura, Pacific Market Development, Tesla
ANALYSIS: UTILITY PV CUSTOMERS RESPOND TO EVOLVING DISTRIBUTED ENERGY RESOURCE POLICIES Presented by Luis Salaveria, Director, Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism, State of Hawaii and Eugene Tian, Chief Economist, State of Hawaii
REGULATING CARBON: THE BEST SOLUTIONS Moderated by Matthew McDonnell, Commission Counsel, Hawaii Public Utilities Commission Sonia Aggarwal, Vice President, Energy Innovation Doug McLeod, Chair, Conference Program Committee Chris Lee, Chair, House Committee on Energy and Environmental, State of Hawaii
CARBON AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY: WHAT IS THE CONNECTION? Moderated by Jennifer Potter, Project Specialist, Hawaii Natural Energy Institute Chris Badger, Senior Consultant, Vermont Energy Investment Co. Caroline Carl, Deputy Director, Hawaii Energy Carilyn Shon, Administrator, Hawaii State Energy Office
DAY 2 | Thursday, March 15, 2018
INVITED PRESENTATION | Maui Energy Conference—5 Years Later Introduction by Frank De Rego Jr, Director of Business Development Projects, Maui Economic Development Board, Inc. and Vice Chair, Conference Program Committee Alice Madden, Executive Director, Getches-Wilkinson Center for Natural Resources and former Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, U.S. Department of Energy
DECARBONIZING TRANSPORTATION Moderated by Brennon Morioka, General Manager of Electrification of Transportation, Hawaiian Electric Company David Graham, Deputy Chief Operation Officer, Neighborhood Services, City of San Diego Michael Hansen, President, Hawaii Shippers Council David Snyder, Executive Director, California Bicycle Coalition
CASE STUDY: BALANCING EVS AND THE HIGHWAY FUND Presented by Murray Clay, Managing Partner, Ulupono Initiative
REVERSE PITCH SESSION Hosted by Aki Marceau, Director of Policy & Community Hawaii, Elemental Excelerator and Fred Redell, Energy Commissioner, Office of Economic Development, County of Maui
INNOVATIVE COMMUNITIES CREATE A ROADMAP TO DECARBONIZATION Moderated by Frank De Rego Jr., Director of Business Development Projects, Maui Economic Development Board, Inc.; Vice Chair, Conference Program Committee Robert Mould, Energy Program Manager, City and County of Honolulu Lucinda Smith, Environmental Services Department Director, City of Fort Collins Ben Sullivan, Energy Coordinator, County of Kauai
INTERNATIONAL LESSONS IN CARBON REDUCTION Moderated by John (J.C.) Thomas, Director of External Affairs, Sempra Infrastructure Jeremy Martin, Vice President Energy & Sustainability, Institute of the Americas Sarah Moe, Senior Consultant, Sustainable Buildings & Communities, DNV GL Energy Services Takashi Ohara, Deputy Manager, Tokyo Electric Power Company Ltd
CARBON FARMING AND ENERGY CROPS Moderated by Rick Volner, General Manager of Diversified Agriculture, Alexander & Baldwin Susan Crow, Asst. Professor, Department of Natural Resources & Environmental Management, University of Hawaii, Manoa Charlotte O’Brien, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Carbon Drawdown Solutions Fred Redell, Energy Commissioner, Office of Economic Development, County of Maui
CASE STUDY: MAXIMIZE ENERGY STORAGE VALUE WITH ADVANCED CONTROL AND OPTIMIZATION TOOLS Presented by Patrick Lee, Vice President, Sempra Infrastructures; President, PXiSE Energy Solutions
MODERATED DISCUSSION: IS HAWAII’S 100% RPS WORTH THE COST?(no slides) Moderated by Gavin Bade, Senior Reporter, Utility Dive Jeffrey Mikulina, Executive Director, Blue Planet Foundation Richard Rocheleau, Director, Hawaii Natural Energy Institute
Lisa Briggs| Director Government Affairs, Sempra U.S. Gas & Power Colton Ching| Vice President, Energy Delivery, Hawaiian Electric Frank De Rego Jr.| Director of Business Development Projects, Maui Economic Development Board, Inc. James “Jay” Griffin| Assistant Researcher, Hawaii Natural Energy Institute Jonathan Koehn| Regional Sustainability Coordinator, City of Boulder Doug McLeod| Chair, Conference Program Committee Sebastian “Bash” Nola | Utility Consultant and former So. Cal. Edison Executive Dave Parsons | Chief of Policy and Research, Hawaii Public Utilities Commission Frederick Redell | Energy Commissioner, Maui County Office Of Economic Development
KEYNOTE ADDRESS
Featured Talk | Sharing our Visions, Opportunities and Challenges in the Energy Industry
Alicia Moy, President & CEO, Hawaii Gas and Shelee Kimura, President & CEO, Hawaiian Electric
KEYNOTE ADDRESS
KEYNOTE ADDRESS
A Conversation with
