‘Talk Story’ event set May 22 to share ideas for Maui’s energy future

“Talk Story on Maui’s Energy Future” will be a forum for the public to share its ideas from 6 to 8 p.m. May 22 at the Cameron Center auditorium, located at 95 Mahalani St. in Wailuku.

“This pivotal event, organized by the Teran James Young Foundation, in partnership with the Maui Community Energy Alliance, will engage Maui residents in a crucial dialogue concerning the island’s energy landscape and its future direction,” according to an announcement.

The event will focus on “the pressing need for a safe, resilient power supply and distribution system.” Panelists will include Shay Chan Hodges, co-organizer at Maui ESG; Ian Chan Hodges, president at Ingenuity Underwriters Ltd.; Jenny Potter, former member of the Public Utilities Commission; and Rob Weltman of the Maui Sierra Club. Also in attendance will be Henry Curtis, executive director of Life of the Land on Oʻahu; and Leilani Chow of Sustainable Molokaʻi, who also headed the development of the community-based Molokaʻi Community Energy Resilience Action Plan.

Attendees will have the opportunity to delve into the importance of taking control of Maui’s power system, ensuring safety, reliability and protection against outages, fires and storms. Discussions will also explore the potential benefits of implementing micro-grids as a means of enhancing local resilience. The meeting will shed light on the potential consequences of rising power rates.

“I hope the room is big enough because this is a very important topic for Maui’s economic and energy future,” said Dr. Genesis Young, executive director of the Teran James Young Foundation.

Registration is requested but not required, RSVP 808-866-0833 or email [email protected].