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The Sierra Club of Hawaii will host a candlelight vigil at Hawaiian Electric Co.’s Ward Avenue headquarters Monday at 5:30 p.m., the day before HECO is to file an energy transition plan with the state Public Utilities Commission.
"We’re out there to call for a plan for solar success," said Caitlin Pomerantz, conservation program coordinator for the Sierra Club of Hawaii.
The Sierra Club said it is expecting about 50 people to join the environmental organization in lighting solar-powered LED candles in protest.
The nonprofit said the rally is in response to HECO’s slow transition to solar after PUC rejected the utility’s original business model submission in April.
"The purpose of the vigil is to increase awareness and attention on this important deadline," said Pomerantz. "We see that the utility has been really resistant about trying to make rooftop solar work."
Colin Yost of RevoluSun, a solar company based in Honolulu, said HECO’s policy that requires customers and contractors to be approved by the utility before installing photovoltaic systems has had an impact on the solar firm’s business since it was enacted in September.
"The process now takes an absurd amount of time. We have a large backlog of nearly 300 signed contracts and people are just waiting for HECO approval," said Yost.
