Hawaii
Energy Policy Forum > 2003
Articles
HECO forms alternative energy branch
Honolulu Star-Bulletin
Saturday, January 4, 2003
Hawaiian Electric Co. has created a new subsidiary to pursue
alternative
energy sources and reduce Hawaii's dependence on fossil fuels.
"We know how critical renewable energy is to our state,"
T. Michael May,
HECO's president and chief executive officer, said yesterday.
"We sponsor the largest solar water-heating program in
the nation and already buy power from renewable sources such
as HPOWER, geothermal and wind."
Forming a separate company to invest in other alternative
energy projects
takes the company's commitment to the next level, he said.
Joining May in the announcement was Gov. Linda Lingle, who
during her gubernatorial campaign pledged to work toward having
Hawaii using 20 percent
renewable energy by 2020.
"Reducing Hawaii's dependency on fossil fuels is a high
priority for my
administration," she said, adding that it will help the
environment and
protect consumers from volatile oil prices.
"It will take private and public partnerships to achieve
this goal, which is why I am pleased that HECO is stepping
up to the plate by creating Renewable Hawaii Inc.," she
said.
The Hawaii chapter of the Sierra Club issued a press release
that said the
environmental group views the new subsidiary with "cautious
optimism" but questions HECO's commitment to alternative
energy.
"While we're encouraged that HECO is starting to talk
about renewable energy, their track record and current plans
for new power plants tell a different story," Jeff Mikulina,
director of the Hawaii chapter, said in the release.
Karl Stahlkopf, HECO's senior vice president of energy solutions
and chief
technology officer, will take on the added role as president
of Renewable
Hawaii, May said.
HECO will put $10 million into the subsidiary, with more
funding "as projects that merit support are presented
to the company," he said.
HECO said it and its neighbor island subsidiaries in Maui
County and the Big Island reached 7 percent electricity sales
from alternative sources last year. That compares with the
2 percent national average.
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