The 13th Annual Hawaii Energy Conference was held May 20, 21 at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center bringing together nearly 400 energy leaders, policymakers, innovators, and community voices to examine this year’s theme: Energy: Power, People and Place.
Maui Economic Development Board (MEDB) has presented the conference since 2014 to explore the challenges and opportunities in Hawaii’s transition to renewable energy. Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen opened the two-day conference that featured dynamic keynote addresses, engaging panels, and in-depth discussions. This year’s program actively explored pathways to resilience and sustainability using firm power, while incorporating the lessons learned from successful indigenous projects.
Mana Newton, Group CEO, Tauhara North No. 2 Trust, New Zealand delivered a powerful keynote sharing the journey and story of geothermal energy in their community. It was a story of inclusion; ownership; and of regeneration; balancing cultural stewardship with commercial viability to strengthen resilience.
“It’s really learning from an indigenous perspective how we can connect together. so that we can understand what this demand on energy is going to look like in the future,” said Newton. “I think the world is going to have a significant demand on energy going forward because of climatization, because of the developments of AI — and we’ve got to ask ourselves those questions of how we play in this development going forward?”
Newton also joined a panel on day 2 that directly addressed the theme of People, Power and Place and looked at models from Hawaii, Tribal Nations, and the Pacific. Moderated by Nāʻālehu Anthony, an activist, changemaker and storyteller; the panel explored how communities design and govern their own energy projects. Wayne Yazza, Jr., Director of Utilities (and former Governor) of Picuris Pueblo; Andrea (Andy) Blair, also of New Zealand; and Keani Rawlins-Fernandez, County of Maui Council joined the discussion.
Visitors from Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Korea, Puerto Rico, and across the Continental U.S joined Hawaii-based attendees for networking with each other and with the exhibiting companies showcasing leading edge technologies in renewable energy.
Replays of all the sessions will be available at https://hawaiienergyconference.com
As Hawaii and the global community evaluate resources, development, and energy usage, we acknowledge that the methods we employ to produce, distribute, and secure energy for future generations are essential components of the energy equation.
Jacqui Hoover, Conference Chair and Executive Director and COO Hawaii Island Economic Development Board (HIEDB); and President Hawaii Leeward Planning.
