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Gov. David Ige and Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi both proclaimed today, the first Wednesday of October, as Energy Efficiency Day.
Ige issued a proclamation today, noting the enactment of the state’s clean energy initiative in 2008, which aims to achieve 4,300 gigawatt-hours of electricity savings by 2030. He also noted that Hawaii residents pay as much as 260% more than the U.S. average of electricity, but that the state leads the nation per capita in rooftop solar.
Blangiardi said in his proclamation that energy efficiency will reduce the high cost of energy for residents and businesses in Honolulu as they recover from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has caused residents and businesses to be even more conscious of reducing costs,” said Blangiardi in a news release. “Energy efficiency is one of the best ways to keep money in the pockets of our people as we recover from the financial impact of the pandemic, while also getting us closer to achieving our climate action goals.”
To mitigate climate change, the city and state have set a target of achieving zero emissions by 2045.
Honolulu’s Climate Action Plan aims to reduce energy demand by increasing energy efficiency of new and existing buildings, retrofitting city facilities, and adopting updated energy codes. In 2019, the city converted 53,000 street lights to energy efficient LEDs, saving taxpayers about $5 million annually.
Currently, the generation of electricity contributes to 35% of Honolulu’s greenhouse gas emissions.
Honolulu plans to start another phase of energy efficient upgrades to city facilities islandwide soon, including fire and police stations, then park facilities. The work is part of a public-private partnership expected to save taxpayer dollars while boosting clean energy jobs.
“Energy efficiency comes with a wide array of environmental, social, and economic benefits, one of which is job creation,” said Matthew Gonser, director and chief resilience officer of the Office of Climate Change, Sustainability and Resiliency. “As of early 2020, good-paying, local green jobs like those in energy efficiency employ over 6,000 Hawaii workers.”
One of the city’s partners is Hawaii Energy, a ratepayer funded program that helps families and businesses make smarter energy choices.
Hawaii Energy offers a rebate for small businesses to switch to LED lighting, which can account for 20% to 50% of overall energy costs. Hawaii Energy also offers the EmPOWER grant to nonprofits and small businesses, which covers up to $5,000 for energy efficient project costs.
Honolulu and State Energy Efficiency Day Proclamations by Honolulu Star-Advertiser on Scribd
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