For Immediate Release: May 12, 2004
DBEDT Release News 04-15

A public-private partnership of local Hawaii organizations has won an Energy Smart America 2004 award. The Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Partnership award recognizes the successful collaboration between teams or organizations to advance energy efficiency technologies

The Hawaii Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism (DBEDT), Hawaii Department of Education, Hawaii Department of Accounting and General Services, University of Hawaii School of Architecture, the Hawaiian Electric Company, Inc., U.S. Department of Energy Rebuild America Program, and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory participated in this project.

"We are proud to receive this national award, after a "peer review" process," said DBEDT Director Theodore E. Liu. "Our DBEDT Strategic Industries Division leadthe partnership formation and organization of the Hawaii Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Partnership. It became a very successful collaborative effort and brought both public and private sector resources together."

The Partnership's first project was to spearhead an effort in Hawaii to utilize sustainable design principles to improve the educational learning environment while minimizing energy costs associated with operating our schools.

"Ultimately our purpose was to promote sustainable development," said Maurice Kaya, DBEDT's Chief Technology Officer. "As a community's environment, economy and quality of life grow stronger, so does the community's future. But sustainable development projects offer real benefits in the short term, too. They create jobs. They lower operating costs for homes, businesses and taxpayers. They reduce pollution control costs."

Energy Smart America 2004, hosted by the U.S. Department of Energy, is a national forum for leveraging rapid and targeted deployment of new energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies among States, Communities, businesses, manufacturers and technology developers.

The goal of Energy Smart America 2004 is to advance state and community energy-saving efforts and deployment of sustainable energy solutions by: (1) fostering connections among community leaders, policymakers, grassroots groups, and other players; (2) disseminating energy-saving information not offered by anyone else; and (3) facilitating discussions that are outcomes-driven, solutions-based and forward-thinking.

For more information, contact:
Dave Young
Communications
Phone: (808) 587-1212
Email: dyoung@dbedt.hawaii.gov