February 7, 2008 - Energy: Hawai`i is at the Forefront

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"Achieving greater energy independence for Hawai`i is a top priority of my Administration.

I recently announced the Hawai‘i Clean Energy Initiative with the U.S. Department of Energy.  The goal of this unprecedented partnership is to use renewable resources such as wind, sun, ocean, geothermal and bio-energy to supply 70 percent of Hawai‘i’s energy in one generation.

Toward this goal, in the past week, we've hosted sixteen nations who gathered to discuss energy security and climate change, and announced an innovative new wave energy project off the coast of Maui that will capture the surge of the ocean to power 2,700 homes.

Through our resources of wind, solar and waves, Hawai`i is uniquely poised to be a global leader and model for renewable energy.  We're at the forefront of these critical efforts and through the collaborative work of our Administration, legislators, businesses and the community, we will continue to focus on a clean energy future for Hawai`i."