Presentation by Karen Nakamura

Karen Nakamura

Executive Director, Building Industry Association;
Chair, Energy Efficiency Policy Task Force

Good Morning, ladies and gentlemen. On behalf of the Energy Efficiency Policy Task Force, welcome and thank you for participating in today’s Symposium.

My name is Karen Nakamura. I am the Executive Director of the Building Industry Association and Chair of the Energy Efficiency Policy Task Force.

We have dignitaries in our audience whom we would like to recognize and welcome:

Senator Cal Kawamoto

Senator Norman Sakamoto

Senator Suzanne Chun Oakland

Representative Hermina Morita

Councilmember Steve Holmes of Honolulu

Councilmember Bryan Baptiste of Kauai

Councilmember Charmaine Tavares of Maui

Councilmember Riki Hokama of Maui

Thank you for being with us today.

At this time, I would like to thank and recognize the members of our Task Force for their time, talents and contributions. Would you please stand as I call your name:

Richard Rocheleau, Interim Director of Hawaii Natural Energy Institute; Warren Bollmeier, President of Hawaii Renewable Energy Alliance; Ruby Hargrave, Executive Director of Honolulu Community Action Program, Inc.; Mike Flores, Community Development Officer, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development; Cully Judd, Board member of the Hawaii Solar Energy Association (Cully's knowledge and personal friendships with our presenters were invaluable to our success); Dave Waller, Manager, Energy Services Department, Hawaiian Electric Co., Inc. (we thank you Dave for your hospitality and your facilities; this could not be a free symposium without your contributions); Eileen Yoshinaka, Pacific Liaison, U.S. Department of Energy (Eileen, thank you for getting Peter Dreyfuss to squeeze us into his already packed speaking itinerary); John Harrison, Interim Special Assistant to the VP for Research & Graduate Education, U.H. Manoa (who gave us vision to look beyond Hawaii for resources current practices); and Carilyn Shon, Energy Conservation Program Manager, Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism (Carilyn, thank you for facilitating our task force, keeping us on track, and coordinating the many details in putting together this symposium).

ACT 163 of the State Legislature created our task force. We have been charged to explore the most cost-effective means for supporting increased energy efficiency and sustainability by:

Examining alternatives to encourage the efficient use of energy;

Considering the merits of active participation in the federal Million Solar Roofs Program; and

The outcome of this Task Force is to make recommendations to our legislature on the most cost-effective means for increased energy efficiency.

Our fast paced agenda will present to you the global view; the economic impact on our island state; current practices of other states; the national perspective; and what is happening today in Hawaii.

Your input is important to this symposium because you are the front line service providers who implement the plan.

Welcome

Karen Nakamura