Students seeking 100% renewable energy

Blue Planet Foundation and groups of Hawaii students will visit the state Capitol on Thursday to urge lawmakers to adopt a goal of using 100 percent renewable energy for electric power generation in the state by 2040.

A joint House-Senate conference committee is scheduled to consider House Bill 623 at 11 a.m. Thursday in Room 225 of the Capitol. The Senate version of the bill sets a target date of 2050 for achieving 100 percent renewable energy, while the House draft sets the date at 2045. The original draft of the bill called for 100 percent renewable by 2040.

Pasha cleared by feds to buy Horizon’s isle operations

The U.S. Department of Justice has no objections to combining two of Hawaii’s smaller companies that bring ocean cargo from the mainland as part of a pending deal that will leave the state with two industry rivals.

Pasha Group announced Wednesday that the agency cleared its pending acquisition of the Hawaii operations of North Carolina-based Horizon Lines Inc., which should allow the deal that was announced in November to close by the end of June.

The result will leave Pasha and Matson Inc., which dominates Hawaii shipping, as the two remaining companies bringing cargo directly from the mainland. Pasha is buying Horizon’s Hawaii business for $141.5 million, which includes four ships, a terminal at Hono­lulu Harbor leased from the state, Hawaii Stevedores Inc. and California-based trucking and warehouse operator Sea-Logix LLC. Pasha began serving Hawaii with one ship in 2005. A second ship is being placed into service soon.

Ship Ahoy!

Today’s ship arrivals and departures:

On the Move

» Kaiser Permanente has hired Vikrant Bhasin as chef manager at the Kaiser Moanalua Medical Center. He will oversee the food and nutrition services department, which includes inpatient room service and the hospital’s Sunrise Cafe cafeteria. His 25 years of food service experience includes lead chef positions at Tufts University in Medford, Mass., and Yahoo corporate dining services. He currently teaches community cooking classes at the University of Hawaii at Manoa’s Lyon Arboretum.

» First Hawaiian Bank has announced the following promotions:

— Leesa Kim to vice president of its Kapiolani banking region, from assistant vice president. She joined the bank in 2004 as a personal banking officer and has more than 17 years experience in the industry.

— Kimberly Kong to vice president and operations manager of its consumer service center, from assistant vice president and operations manager. She joined the bank in 1986 as a teller.