Hawai‘i Energy Manager & Student Earns National Award

By Maui Now Staff

Hawai‘i Energy’s Aurora Winslade will receive the Rising Star of Energy Efficiency: Student award by the Alliance to Save Energy this fall at the nation’s capital.

Winslade won award for her accomplishments as a graduate student while working as the transformational program manager at Hawai‘i Energy, the ratepayer-funded energy conservation and efficiency program serving Hawai‘i, Honolulu and Maui counties, and for work she had done previously with the University of Hawai‘i and the University of California.

This is the first year that the alliance added two new award categories for young professionals and students. Winslade will be the alliance’s inaugural winner in the student category as well as the first in Hawai‘i to win such an award from the Alliance.

Winslade will be one of six award recipients during the alliance’s 23rd Annual Evening with the Stars of Energy Efficiency Awards Dinner on Sept. 17 at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium in Washington, DC.

The dinner has been the preeminent showcase for leaders in the energy efficiency industry since 1993. The black-tie affair usually draws 500 energy notables from industry, government and academia for an evening of fine dining and celebration.

“We’d like to congratulate Aurora, who truly is making a difference in the energy efficiency world,” said Ray Starling, Hawai‘i Energy program director. “She’s worked tirelessly during her many years in academia and we are fortunate to have her on our team to educate and empower others to save energy.”

Winslade has been dedicated to improving sustainability for more than a decade. In addition to working at Hawai‘i Energy, she is also a full-time MBA student at the Duke University Fuqua School of Business, enrolled in the Cross Continent Program for working professionals. The program includes residencies in five countries and a diverse student body from around the world. She is expected to graduate in May 2016.

Winslade’s notable accomplishments that helped her win the Alliance’s award included the following:

• Launching the first statewide Community-Based Social Marketing campaign at Hawai‘i Energy to improve energy efficiency in apartments and condominiums on the islands of Hawai‘i, Lāna‘i, Moloka‘i, Maui and O‘ahu.
• Co-founding the University of Hawaii System’s Sustainability Strategy that led to the establishment of specific energy efficiency goals, targets and a policy for the university that commits to carbon neutrality.
• Authoring the 2014 Energy Solutions Report for UH that laid out specific goals for improving energy efficiency related to financing, coordination, policy, communication, implementation and management to generate a Strategic Energy Plan.
• Hosting and contributing to numerous strategic events that helped align the UH community around energy efficiency, such as the Annual Hawai‘i Sustainability in Higher Education Summit from 2012 to 2015.
• Orchestrating a meeting with UH leaders, UH Foundation board members and the Hawai‘i Public Utilities Commission to develop energy efficiency financing.
• Initiating discussions for what now is the University of Hawaii – West O‘ahu’s new Bachelor of Applied Science concentration in facilities management that will be offered this fall.
• Founding the University of California Santa Cruz’s Sustainability Office and co-founding multiple student programs while an undergraduate at UCSC.

“Aurora has played an important role in developing the university’s systemwide sustainability strategy, and helped us to identify energy efficiency as a cornerstone of our approach,” said David Lassner University of Hawai‘i system president. “She continues to be a strong ally in achieving our energy efficiency goals; we are both grateful for her work and pleased to see her recognized for her contributions.”

The alliance is a coalition based in Washington, DC, committed to advancing energy efficiency to achieve a healthier economy, a cleaner environment and greater energy security.

To learn more about the alliance and the 23rd Annual Evening with the Stars of Energy Efficiency Awards Dinner, go online.

For more information about Hawai‘i Energy, call 839-8880 or toll-free on the Neighbor Islands at (877) 231-8222.