Third Annual Maui Energy Conference: March 16–18

Maui Energy Conference photo.

The Mayor’s Office of Economic Development, Maui County and Maui Economic Development Board will host the third annual Maui Energy Conference from March 16 to 18, 2016, at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center.

Maui’s leading event for the renewable energy industry will provide a unique opportunity to share insights with the industry’s thought leaders while networking and conducting business under one roof.

In this fast-changing marketplace, the conference aims to promote environmentally safe and economically sustainable renewable energy solutions for Maui, the state and the nation.

“The conference will bring together some of the best minds in the energy sector from the county, the state and the nation,” said Frank De Rego Jr., director of business development projects at MEDB and a member of the conference program committee. “The focus of discussion will be on achieving the Portfolio Standard for Hawai‘i Clean Energy Initiative’s 100% Renewable Energy by 2045, and its implications for the state’s energy future. The strengths of the conference over the years have been the high quality of its speakers and panelists as well as ample time to network.”

As the movement toward sustainable renewable energy gains momentum, the public is invited toto learn about the latest advances in clean energy from energy experts and stakeholders. Attendees will learn how Hawai‘i plans to implement its new energy planning model and how the model applies to your their own energy goals.

The conference will also seek answers to these questions: Are these targets realistic? Are the utilities on board? How do we mitigate disruptions of energy supply and price while we transition from carbon-based fuels to renewables? How important is having a diversified portfolio of renewable energy sources? How much will this really cost?

“The Renewable Portfolio Standard tells us when to achieve 100% renewables,” said Conference Program Committee Chair Doug McLeod. “This conference looks at all the other questions: how, where, why and who pays are just a few of the obvious issues. Within How and Why are important sub-questions about fairness and respect for Hawaiian culture and the ‘āina.’”

Notable speakers will include Bill Ritter Jr., former governor of Colorado and founder and current director of the Center for the New Energy Economy at Colorado State University, who will present the keynote on “Powering Forward: What Everyone Should Know About America’s Renewable Energy Revolution.”

“The Path to Moving Forward to 100% Renewable Energy” will be presented by Jon Wellinghoff, the former Federal Energy Regulatory Commission chair, now an energy law attorney with Stoel Rives LLP.

“Solar is growing so fast it is going to overtake everything,” asserted Wellinghoff.

Jared Stigge, vice president of C.H. Guernsey & Company, will present “The Guernsey Report: An Analysis of Alternative Utility Models for Maui County.”

In the same session, a representative of the Hawai‘i State Legislature will address the Maui municipal utility concept.

The conference will also include: Defining 100% Renewables; Community Acceptance of 100% Renewables; The Social Impacts of Pursuing a 100% Renewable Future; Educating Toward 100% Renewable Energy; Investing in Hawaii; The Hawaii Renewable Experience—What Can Be Replicated; Integration of Distributed Energy Resources; and Maui: A Case Study—Is This Where We’re All Headed?

Mark Glick has joined returning members Bash Nola, Colton Ching, Jay Griffin, Jonathan Koehn, Holly Benz and De Rego on the 2016 conference planning committee. The Hawaiian Electric Companies will be represented by speakers Colton Ching, vice president for energy delivery, and Shelee Kimura, vice president for corporate planning and business development. Jonathan Koehn, the regional sustainability coordinator for the City of Boulder, will also return as a speaker.

The exhibition segment of the conference will provide networking opportunities for participants who want to generate business or collaborate to address common issues and concerns.

The conference’s third day will move outdoors with two optional Maui Sustainability Mobile Workshops.

For information on how to register and other details, visit the Maui Energy Conference website.