For Immediate Release: October 19, 2006
DBEDT Release News 06-29

Honolulu--The State of Hawaii Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism (DBEDT) will hold the second of four public meetings to discuss the "Hawaii Energy Strategy 2007" (HES 2007) project on October 24, 2006, from 9 am to noon in the State Capitol Auditorium.

The October 24, 2006 meeting is designed to provide Hawaii's citizens with opportunities to become more familiar with the Hawaii Energy Strategy development process and to provide a forum for input, comments, and suggestions related to the project. This meeting will feature an update on the current status of the project, review the ENERGY 2020 model, and present initial results of the ENERGY 2020 model analysis of scenarios of Hawaii's energy future.

A summary of the Hawaii Biofuels Summit will also be presented. A preliminary list of policies under consideration for evaluation by the model will be reviewed and opportunities provided for inputs from attendees.

For those not able to attend, copies of presentations and a summary of the discussion will be posted at http://www.hawaii.gov/dbedt/info/energy/planning/hes.

The HES program was initiated in 1992 to increase the understanding of Hawaii's energy situation, formulate State Energy Objectives, and to make recommendations towards achieving those goals. HES 2007 will build upon previous work and the Governor's "Energy for Tomorrow" initiative to chart a clear path to:

• Reduce the state's dependence on oil;
• Protect the environment;
• Reduce negative economic impacts related to use of imported fuels;
• Enhance renewable energy use and energy efficiency; and
• Improve the security and reliability of Hawaii's energy system.

For additional information please call 587-3801 or email hes@rmi.org.

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