State touts big energy effort and top ranking by nonprofit

Hawaii has invested more than $300 for every resident to make state buildings more energy efficient.

The state has invested roughly $325 per capita this year in energy performance contracting projects for state buildings, according to the nonprofit Energy Services Coalition.

Energy performance contracting is a financing tool that allows government buildings to get energy efficiency upgrades without having to pay capital expenses up front, instead paying for them annually as the agencies experience energy savings.

The state’s energy efficiency projects include courthouses, community colleges, airports and prisons, the state said in a news release Thursday. Performance contracts signed by state and local government agencies in Hawaii since 1996 include 225 buildings and facilities covering 96 million square feet with savings that add up to powering 368,426 homes for one year.

“Reducing energy use by making our buildings more efficient will help us meet the challenges of energy security and climate change that we face in Hawaii,” Gov. David Ige said in a statement.

Mark Glick, administrator at the Hawaii State Energy Office, said the $442.4 million of energy performance contracts put in place since 1996 will save the state an estimated $1.1 billion in electricity costs over the life of the contracts.

“Efficiency gains from these major projects are playing a significant role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions while providing a healthy return on investment,” Glick said.

The state Department of Transportation executed a $158 million energy performance contract in December 2013 with Johnson Controls Inc. for 12 of Hawaii’s 15 airports. Glick said the projects will reduce energy use by half and save the state about $500 million over 20 years.

Hawaii had the highest investment per capita in the nation for energy efficiency at state buildings. Kentucky, second place in the ranking, invested roughly $172.48 per capita and third-place Delaware put in $154.47 per capita. The national average is $53.93 per capita.