HCEI Road Map

2011 Edition
2 www.hawaiicleanenergyinitiative.org

The Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative (HCEI) was founded based on a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) 

between the State of Hawaii and the U.S. Department of Energy on Jan. 28, 2008. Upon inception, the State and the 

Department worked to form a series of working groups incorporating a variety of stakeholders throughout the state, 

including local government, not-for-profit organizations, private sector companies, trade associations, Department of 

Defense representatives (including PACOM) and academic organizations, among others. These working groups form 

the core of HCEI: a representation of all of the important constituencies within the State which allow HCEI to create 

a balanced and locally focused strategy to attain its goal of reaching 70% clean energy by 2030. These working groups 

were established and active by March, 2008, shortly after HCEI’s founding. Through the HCEI process, information 

is gathered from multiple perspectives within the State, across all of the counties, and analyzed and refined into 

a coherent vision for the State moving forward. The results of this process are then shared with a wider audience 

throughout the State and feedback gathered and reincorporated into the process for use in improving decisionmaking as the HCEI progresses. This process is highlighted in the diagram below: 

Summary:

HCEI Goals and Strategies

1

http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session2010/Bills/HB2421_CD1_.HTM

The critical goal of HCEI is to coordinate between the many groups within the State working across the various energy 

sectors, evaluate the complex problems affecting them, and to devise strategies for achieving the clean energy goals 

of the State that can be adopted to ultimately benefit the citizens of the State with a clean, secure, supply of energy 

going forward. It is essential to note that without the participation and cooperation of all of the key stakeholders 

involved in HCEI and the support of the general public, HCEI will not succeed in its goals. While the process can 

reduce duplication of efforts, highlight areas for improvement or essential areas of need, the vast majority of the 

recommendations laid out in this Road Map will be undertaken by one or many of the stakeholders already at work 

throughout the State. At its core, HCEI has been designed to be a collaborative effort between all of the citizens of 

the State of Hawaii to leverage their respective strengths in achieving a clean energy future that will benefit not just 

its constituents but the future citizens of the State as well. As a reflection of the initial success of HCEI, the State 

Legislature has chosen to formally ratify its role in coordinating the ongoing clean energy efforts as of April, 2010, in 

section 8 of HB 24211

 . 

Individual Consumers
The HCEI structure is essential to addressing the primary issues facing the State: the Hawaii energy system is a 

complex system based on multiple core components that overlap in many ways.

To recast this complex system into manageable components, HCEI began by targeting the four key energy sectors 

(Electricity Generation and Delivery, Buildings & Industry End Use, Fuel Sources and Delivery, and Transportation 

End Use) and creating stakeholder working groups tasked with evaluating clean energy options for each. Equally 

important, there are many areas of overlap across all these sectors that require coordination and complementary 

actions. For example:

• Installation of distributed generation and smart meters on the electrical grid, along with increasing end use 

efficiency will mean that demand patterns and corresponding generation needs will shift over time. This affects 

both the Electricity Generation and Delivery and Building End Use sectors.

• As electric vehicles are deployed in the State, EV owners will be adding electric vehicle charge stations into their 

homes, leading to a corresponding increase in their residential electricity use (and overall electricity demand.) 

Additionally, over time, large numbers of grid-connected electric vehicles may be able to provide energy storage 

solutions to the grid. Thus, strategies in the Transportation sector affect both the Building End Use and the 

Electricity Generation and Delivery sectors.

• Investment in integrated bio-refinery capabilities would allow the production of electricity from biomass in 

conjunction with the production of liquid biofuels. Thus, the Fuels sector is capable of having a potentially large 

impact on both the Electrical Generation and Transportation sectors.

To ensure that these interactions are addressed, an “Integration” working group (now the HCEI Steering Committee) 

was created and tasked with coordinating between the groups. The working groups use a set of tools that include 

policy and regulatory change, project development, outreach and education and overall planning and management. 

The goal of the Steering Committee is to ensure that a comprehensive strategy is reached for the State where all 

energy sectors are working together to achieve the 70% clean energy goal.

The overall vision adopted by the State of Hawaii in transforming its energy infrastructure to a more sustainable path 

is based on a three-part planning process:

1. Identifying key sectors of the energy economy

2. Setting of clean energy goals for attainment in each area

3. Creating multi-faceted critical strategies to attain sector goals 

www.hawaiicleanenergyinitiative.org 3

Summary: HCEI Goals and Strategies
The key sectors, strategies, and goals are outlined in the table below:

ENERGY SECTOR STRATEGIES 2030 GOALS

Electricity

(Generation and Delivery)

Align electricity regulatory and policy framework with clean energy goals

Renewable Portfolio Standard: 40% of 

delivered MWh renewable energy

Increase certainty in the process for developing new renewable energy

Deploy renewable generation and grid infrastructure

Explore next generation technologies/new applications of existing technologies

End Use Efficiency

Align efficiency regulatory and policy framework with clean energy goals

Energy Efficiency Portfolio Standard: 

4,300 MWh reduced

Retrofit residential and commercial existing buildings

Strengthen new construction policies/building codes

Identify non-building related energy efficiency measures

Transportation

Improve standard vehicle efficiency of fleet

Reduce petroleum used for ground 

transportation by 70%* 

Reduce vehicle miles traveled (VMT) 

Incorporate renewable fuels into transportation sector

Accelerate the deployment of electric vehicles (EVs) and related infrastructure

Fuels

Evaluate local agricultural industry and support its development

Meet as much of in-State demand for 

renewable fuels as is feasible

Invest in key infrastructure at scale

Evaluate and develop renewable fuel processing infrastructure

Match potential fuels supply to sources of in-State demand 

*HCEI will develop an expanded understanding of the needs of the large buyers in the aviation and defense sector. In the future, marine and aviation biofuel 

alternatives may be substituted to help meet the goal by displacing the equivalent of 70% of ground transportation demand with non-fossil fuels.

4 www.hawaiicleanenergyinitiative.org

Summary: HCEI Goals and Strategies
These strategies were developed through extensive collaboration between the members of the HCEI working groups. 

They are based on targeted analysis conducted throughout the first two years of HCEI (Appendix C – Completed 

HCEI Analysis), as well as the technical and policy expertise of the various members of the working groups. 

Five- and ten-year strategies for the State are outlined in the 

following section. These strategies are based on data received 

from many stakeholders within the State, including the 

members of the HCEI working groups. While specific examples 

are given throughout the body of this report, the full list of 

action items considered of strategic significance are outlined in 

Appendix B. It is important to note that all of the action items 

outlined here may significantly contribute to the attainment 

of the overall goal of 70% clean energy by 2030; however, 

given the uncertainty around the development of technology 

and the corresponding costs of adoption over time, HCEI has 

adopted a multi-stage planning process to ensure that the best 

options for the State are the ones ultimately utilized for the 

attainment of the goals. As more information is received with 

developments in research and development and pilot projects 

over time, HCEI will evaluate and amend these strategies to 

better reflect the needs of the State from a reliability, cost and 

impact perspective.

The following sections of the Road Map outline, in five year 

increments, the strategies for each of the four energy sectors targeted by HCEI. The first five year block, from 2011-

2015, identifies the goals of HCEI for that period, and lays out the strategies for attaining them in more detail, along 

with concrete examples of actions that are the essential components of each strategy. The second five year block, 

from 2016-2020, outlines the mid-term goals of HCEI, as well as showing the progression of the HCEI strategies 

over time to adapt to changing market and technological landscapes. Finally, a brief overview of how success will be 

measured, and goals adapted, will be outlined for each sector. For now, these metrics are tied solely to achievements 

in renewable energy produced, energy saved, biofuels produced and petroleum use avoided; however, as HCEI 

progresses and additional data becomes available over time, HCEI will also track the impacts of its strategies on 

the State economy through other metrics to measure its impact on the State from an energy security and economic 

perspective as well. 

It should be noted that all of the strategies, goals and achievements outlined in this document will be updated on 

a regular basis to ensure that they truly reflect the current energy market realities of the State. As such, this Road 

Map will be a living document that will retain its strategic importance over time, rather than providing just a 

simple snapshot as of our vantage point today. 

The Role of the Counties in HCEI

While the overall goals of the Hawaii Clean Energy 

Initiative are set at a State level, it is important to note 

that each of the counties within the State has its own 

ongoing clean energy initiative that HCEI considers a 

key partner. Clean energy plans for each county have 

already been published. Each has been leveraged by HCEI 

throughout its goal-setting and data gathering process. 

As members of the working groups and Steering 

Committee, representatives of each county have provided 

HCEI with unique feedback on the issues particular to their 

island. These have been highlighted throughout this Road 

Map. Additionally, it must be noted that many of HCEI’s 

recommended actions may apply to certain counties only. 

The achievement of these actions will be the result of 

extensive work of stakeholders at both the local and state 

levels, and are critical to the attainment of the HCEI goals.

www.hawaiicleanenergyinitiative.org 5

Summary: HCEI Goals and Strategies
The first of the core energy sectors to be addressed in this Road Map is Electricity. HCEI defines “Electricity” as 

the generation, transmission and distribution infrastructure necessary to deliver electrical service to the citizens of 

Hawaii. Detailed goals and strategies will be laid out in five year increments to help highlight the evolving nature of 

HCEI as we look further into the future. We will begin by reviewing the current status of HCEI, then summarizing 

our critical strategies for the future, and finally showing how these strategies will be expanded upon as HCEI moves 

forward. 

Throughout this sector, it is important to note that many of 

these strategies and actions will have significance throughout 

the other energy sectors of HCEI as well, as the Electricity 

sector is intricately entwined with End Use Efficiency (e.g., 

load balancing on the grid, particularly in a Smart Grid future), 

Transportation (e.g., electric vehicles will both increase demand 

for electricity and provide a potential future source of battery 

storage), and Fuels (e.g., biofuels may provide a significant 

source of firm generation capacity for the State). 

Finally, a fundamental aspect of this sector in the State of 

Hawaii is the separate, but parallel, efforts of the two types of 

utilities (Investor-Owned and Cooperative) to evaluate and 

implement high levels of renewable energy on the grid. HCEI 

acknowledges that there are different challenges associated 

with each utility ownership model, and is committed to working 

with each to attain the goals laid out in this Road Map, particularly within the Clean Energy Scenario Planning 

(CESP) framework outlined in the next section. In addition to the HECO Energy Agreement with the State of Hawaii 

(sidebar), which covers the investor-owned utilities in the State, the Kaua’i Island Utility Cooperative (KIUC) 

developed its own corresponding Strategic Plan in 2008 which sets a target of 50% renewable energy for the island by 

20232

. These agreements, in conjunction with one another, are the core of the Electricity strategies for years 1-10 of 

HCEI. 

The HECO Energy Agreement with the State of Hawaii

On October 20, 2008, an Energy Agreement was signed by 

the State of Hawaii and the Hawaiian Electric Companies 

to accelerate the accomplishment of Hawaii’s energy 

objectives in the regulated electric utility sector.

The Agreement includes renewable energy commitments, 

measures to increase energy efficiency, and improvements 

to grid operation and infrastructure.

Signatories to the Agreement include The Governor of the 

State of Hawaii, the State Energy Resources Coordinator, 

the State of Hawaii Consumer Advocate and the Hawaiian 

Electric Companies.

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II. Electricity Sector

(2011-2020)

2

http://www.kiuc.coop/pdf/SP_2010-2025%20Strategic%20Plan12-22-09.pdf
CLEAN ENERGY SCENARIO PLANNING (CESP)

HECO companies, KIUC, Consumer Advocate, Counties and other interveners are required to submit for 

consideration by the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) a CESP to replace the Integrated Resource Planning (IRP) 

process. These plans are to be submitted either separately or as a whole by the participants to the PUC, and will lay 

out 5 year and 10-20 year goals and actions the utilities deem necessary to attainment of the Renewable Portfolio 

Standard (RPS) goals. 

It is essential to note that this Road Map is not an attempt to replace the CESP process, but rather a means of 

providing HCEI a framework for aligning its goals and strategic plan with that of the electric utilities. HCEI recognizes 

that certain areas of the Electricity sector are complementary to the work of the utilities that will be essential to the 

attainment of RPS goal (e.g., research and exploration of next generation technologies, alignment of the regulatory 

framework). To this end, any critical projects/actions identified through the CESP process should be recorded here 

during the periodic review of this document, and should be incorporated both into the “Representative Critical 

Actions” table above, as well as the full list of critical actions laid out in Appendix B. 

ACCOMPLISHMENTS TO DATE (2010)

In the Electricity sector, four areas of critical strategic significance have been identified based upon the long lead 

time necessary for the evaluation and implementation of renewable generation projects, as well as the significant 

corresponding grid analysis and investment needed to maintain the reliability of service simultaneously. Thus, the 

four areas of critical importance for the development of an Electricity sector with high levels of renewable energy are 

based on the regulatory fundamentals of the sector, as well as a standard project development time line. A summary 

of critical actions completed in each of these areas is given in the table below: 

STRATEGY REPRESENTATIVE* ACCOMPLISHMENTS TO DATE

Align electricity regulatory and policy framework 

with clean Energy Goals

• RPS set to 15% by 2015, 25% by 2020, and 40% by 2030

• HECO Companies Feed-in Tariff for Variable Renewable Energy Generation Docket in progress

• HECO Energy Agreement with State of Hawaii signed (see side bar, on previous page)

• KIUC Strategic Plan (50% renewable energy by 2023) Implemented

Increase certainty in the process for developing 

new renewable

• Created permitting inventories and guidebook for renewable development

• Resolving permit issues through DBEDT staff facilitation

Deploy renewable generation and grid 

infrastructure

• Lanai photovoltaics (PV) project installed (1.2 MW)

• Kahuku wind (30 MW) began commercial operation

• Fastest growth in PV installation in the Nation

Explore next generation technologies/ new 

applications of existing technologies

• Wind Power Grid Integration Studies completed for all islands

• Inter-island cable technical review completed

• Solar resource potential and grid impact studies ongoing

• Initiated smart grid demos on Maui and Kauai

• Geothermal Working Group established (SCR 99) to analyze the potential of geothermal to meet 

baseload demand on the Big Island

*For a full list of accomplishments, please see Appendix A

www.hawaiicleanenergyinitiative.org 7

II. Electricity Sector (2011-2020)
YEARS 2011-2015 

GOALS

For the Electricity sector, the primary 5-year milestone is the RPS: 15% of demand (approximately 1,200 GWh 

delivered).

All projects identified as “critical” in this section have been identified based upon a combination of scale, projected 

cost-effectiveness and strategic importance to each island’s overall energy strategy. Many of these items will not be 

completed within the first 1-5 years of HCEI. However, it is essential to begin as many of these actions as possible now 

to ensure that both the short and long term RPS goals are met. Critical items are outlined below.

CORE STRATEGIES

In addition to the actions already completed, many key actions across this range of strategies are currently underway, 

the full list of which are available in Appendix B. Representative samples of these actions are summarized below, and 

are building blocks for HCEI’s next five year period.

STRATEGY REPRESENTATIVE* IMPORTANT ACTIONS: YEARS 1-5 (2015 TARGET DATE)

Align electricity regulatory and policy 

framework with clean energy goals

• Conclude all open PUC dockets (outlined in Appendix A)

• Evaluate expansion of feed-in-tariff to include renewables not currently within its scope (e.g., biomass)

Increase certainty in the process for 

developing new renewable

• Reduce ambiguity in permitting requirements and create online application process 

• Reduce engineering and regulatory barriers for new renewables on to the grid 

• Work with counties to coordinate efforts on streamlining permitting process

Deploy renewable generation and 

grid infrastructure

• Develop “Big Wind” project – includes wind farm, inter-island cable and Oahu grid integration components 

(400 MW)

• Evaluate/deploy four medium scale wind projects (all islands, ~142 MW) 

• Evaluate/deploy multiple biomass/biofuel generation projects across all islands (~250 MW)

• Install solar technologies on a scale allowed by the PUC (>80 MW)

Explore next generation technologies/

new applications of existing 

technologies

• Complete solar grid integration studies (all islands)

• Undertake 10MW Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion demonstration (OTEC) 

• Demonstrate 3-4 storage systems options across the islands

• Demonstrate 3-4 smart grid systems across the islands

• Monitor progress of wave energy pilots in-State

*For a full list of critical actions, please see Appendix B

One overall theme of years 1-5 is developing a better understanding of the factors limiting deployment of renewable 

energy on each of the islands. In some cases, such as Oahu, identifying a source of renewable energy on scale with the 

level of demand may be the primary issue. In others, such as the Big Island, where renewable resources are plentiful 

in comparison to energy demand, it may be that the limitation in deploying high levels of renewable energy is actually 

the grid itself. To this end, Smart Grid components, such as Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI), energy storage, 

and renewable energy forecasting technology will be highly critical to the attainment of the RPS goals. This holds true 

across all islands, but particularly those already deploying renewable energy on a large scale relative to their current 

electricity demand (e.g. Maui, the Big Island). See Appendix B for specific action items in this regard. 

8 www.hawaiicleanenergyinitiative.org

II. Electricity Sector (2011-2020)
YEARS 2016-2020

GOALS

The primary key milestone to be attained is defined by the RPS itself; in this case the 10-year RPS goal is 25% of 

demand by December 31, 2020 (which is forecast to be approximately 3,500 GWh of delivered renewable energy).

STRATEGIC PATH FORWARD

In addition to new technologies which will have matured by the 2016-2020 time period, many of the actions outlined 

in this time period will be carry-overs from the 1-5 year time period. Given the long term nature of the regulatory 

and permitting process for renewable energy and grid investment projects, many of the critical items may fall into 

the 6-10 year period for completion. All efforts to streamline this process should be pursued to ensure that the RPS 

goals are met in as timely a manner as possible. However, it is critical to the HCEI partnership to begin the research 

and project development process in years 1-5 in order to ensure that the goals are met in years 6-10. Building on the 

strategies outlined in the 1-5 year period, HCEI considers the following to be of strategic importance in the 2016-2020 

time period:

Align electricity regulatory and policy framework with clean energy goals:

At this juncture, the basic regulatory framework to allow the incorporation of large scale renewable energy into 

Hawaii’s electricity systems should be well established. However, additional issues related to grid reliability, utility 

cost-recovery, the structuring of the new “decoupled” utility and many other next generation issues may require new 

or updated policies and legislation during this timeframe. These goals will be determined as variable energy projects 

occur and subsequent impacts are identified. 

Deploy renewable generation and grid infrastructure:

In this time period, specific focus should be placed on three types of projects:

1. Those begun in the previous time period that are already in development.

2. Those technologies that have moved up the commercialization curve to become more cost-effective, particularly 

at scale (e.g., widespread deployment of distributed generation PV). 

3. Those technologies that may not be required at low levels of variability, but that will be required to enable the 

deployment of the next round of variable renewable technologies (e.g., smart grid, energy storage – these are 

examples where the groundwork for these technologies needs to be established with demonstrations over the 

next few years – several are currently underway). 

In addition, how to handle the ramp down of the existing petroleum infrastructure to avoid stranding investment 

and/or passing through exorbitant costs to the rate-payer is an essential item for consideration in future years. A 

comprehensive strategy for the placement of less-efficient existing fossil generation into standby status as firm capacity 

requirements for each system allow should be developed in this time period as more renewable resources come online.

www.hawaiicleanenergyinitiative.org 9

II. Electricity Sector (2011-2020)
Explore next generation technologies/new applications of existing technologies:

Certain second-generation technologies should be re-evaluated by HCEI and other private-sector parties based on their 

technological developments and commercialization progress. Some of these technologies for re-consideration include:

1. Expanded geothermal capacity, specifically for loads on the Big Island.

2. Expansion of any geothermal potential discovered on Maui during the short-term (i.e., in years 1-5).

3. Technical feasibility of expanding undersea cable connections between all islands, not limited to Lanai/Molokai/

Maui and Oahu.

4. Commercial, large-scale development of OTEC and wave power technologies. 

5. The use of biofuels for generation, either directly or in a blend with standard petroleum fuels to provide firm 

renewable generation capacity (preferably from local sources). This subject is evaluated in detail in the “Fuels” 

section of this document.

MEASURING SUCCESS AND ADJUSTING GOALS OVER TIME

As a function of the RPS, the HECO Companies and KIUC will report their achieved renewable energy progress to the 

PUC to verify their attainment of the RPS. All other progress towards HCEI goals will be recorded by the Hawaii State 

Energy Office and incorporated in the “Accomplishments to Date” section of this report. 

It should be noted that moving forward, there will be interactive effects between the End Use Efficiency and 

Transportation sectors, as End Use Efficiency will progressively lower projected electricity demand, and electric 

vehicles will tend to increase electricity demand. These trends must be monitored carefully (see End Use Efficiency 

and Transportation “Measuring Success” sections for details) in order to forecast the necessary amount of renewable 

energy that will have to be installed to attain the RPS goal for each time period.

This list of critical items should be revisited periodically to determine which are moving forward, and to adjust or 

replace those that are not progressing with alternatives. The RPS goal should also be revisited based on the success 

of implementing the proposed renewable energy projects on or ahead of schedule.

10 www.hawaiicleanenergyinitiative.org

II. Electricity Sector (2011-2020)
The next of the core energy sectors in this Road Map is End-Use Efficiency. HCEI defines “End-Use Efficiency” as the 

reduction in the use of electricity by end users, including homes, businesses and the industrial and military sectors. 

Goals, core strategies and critical actions are outlined below. 

As with Electricity, End-Use Efficiency improvements over time will have spill-over effects into other sectors of 

the energy system in Hawaii. By increasing efficiency throughout the end use sector, the process of balancing the 

demand on the grid against increasing variability in generation may have repercussions on demand management 

practices. Ideally, achieving advanced efficiency will allow the utilities to ramp down the more expensive generation 

units (essentially replacing them with cheaper efficiency savings), but the real-time impacts of this change must be 

monitored and better understood as more efficiency is deployed on the grid.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS TO DATE (2010)

In the End-Use Efficiency sector, four areas of critical strategic significance have been identified based upon the 

unique nature of efficiency options for various building types. A summary of critical actions completed in each of 

these areas is given in the table below: 

STRATEGY REPRESENTATIVE* ACCOMPLISHMENTS TO DATE

Align efficiency regulatory and policy 

framework with clean energy goals

• Energy Efficiency Portfolio Standard (EEPS) set to 4,300 GWh offline by 2030

• HECO Companies revenue stream decoupled from kWh usage

• Public Benefits Fund created to help finance the retrofitting of the existing building stock 

Retrofit residential and commercial 

existing buildings

• State “Lead-by-Example” program deployed

• HECO company retrofit programs transferred to Public Benefits Fund Administrator (PBFA), and new 

monitoring and verification program created

• Existing KIUC/PBFA programs fully operational and are working to attain efficiency savings 

• Building stock data collected and needs identified

Strengthen new construction 

policies/building codes

• All counties have adopted new, more efficient building codes (IECC2006 for Maui, Oahu and The Big Island, 

IECC2009 in the case of Kauai)

• Pilots of highly efficient new homes have been conducted through the Department of Defense and Department 

of Hawaiian Homelands (DHHL)

• New Construction Efficiency Savings Potential Analysis Conducted

Identify non-building related energy 

efficiency measures

• Potential efficiencies from improving transmission/distribution infrastructure evaluated

• Industrial and military electricity applications identified for future efficiency potential study

*For a full list of accomplishments, please see Appendix A

www.hawaiicleanenergyinitiative.org 11

III. End-Use Efficiency Sector

(2011-2020)
YEARS 2011-2015 

GOALS

The End-Use Efficiency goals are based on estimated savings targets from previous HCEI Analysis (see Appendix C), 

while interim milestones are currently under review in PUC Docket 2010-0037. Upon the resolution of the docket, 

these milestones may be adjusted to align with those set by the PUC.

• 2015 Existing Building Savings Target: 1,000 GWh3

• 2015 New Construction Savings Target: 365 GWh4

CORE STRATEGIES

The strategies for End-Use Efficiency are based on the fundamentals of the energy efficiency market, acknowledging 

that significant differences exist between efficiency measures available to new and existing buildings, residential and 

commercial buildings, and non-building energy users. It also relies on much of the regulatory system that governs 

the generation, transmission and distribution sectors, as reductions in energy use are very much a part of the overall 

electricity system overseen by the electric utilities and the PUC.

All items listed below may be subject to amendment pursuant to specific PUC rulings, including Docket 2010-0037, 

which is reviewing specific recommendations for the attainment of the EEPS as well as the EEPS target itself. 

STRATEGY REPRESENTATIVE* IMPORTANT ACTIONS: YEARS 1-5 (2015 TARGET DATE)

Align efficiency regulatory and policy 

framework with clean energy goals

• Evaluate rate design options for efficiency and demand response

• Gain PUC approval to install and pilot smart meters

• Ratify the increase in the PBFA Fund outlined in the HECO Energy Agreement with the State of Hawaii 

(increase to 1.5% after 2 years, 2% by 4 years), and evaluate other options for enhancing energy efficiency 

program funding (e.g. tax credits for efficiency)

Retrofit residential and commercial 

existing buildings

• Expand and leverage State “Lead-by-Example” program 

• Implement or expand key policies and business models to leverage private capital (e.g., property assessed 

clean energy financing, energy savings performance contracts)

• Expand current benchmarking efforts for building stock energy usage

• Expand retrofit market outreach/education programs 

• Allow PBFA and KIUC more flexibility to explore new metrics that will allow them the freedom to explore nondirectly measured energy savings options (e.g., metrics re: the successes of education and outreach programs)

Strengthen new construction 

policies/building codes

• Update building code levels to 2015 efficiency standards

• Improve enforcement of building codes, by working with the counties to help train and educate plan checkers 

and inspectors

• Provide training and information on updated building codes to design professionals

Identify non-building related energy 

efficiency measures

• Invest in transmission/distribution system efficiencies

• Collaborate with military on industrial and fleet efficiency opportunities

*For a full list of critical actions, please see Appendix B

Key players in the End-Use Efficiency sector may vary, depending on which island a building stands on. Overall 

targets and guidelines for efficiency fall under the jurisdiction of the PUC, which has been granted authority over the 

EEPS by the RPS statute. The existing building programs for Oahu, Maui and the Big Island fall under the jurisdiction 

of the PBFA, which is responsible for the development of energy efficiency program plans, efficiency program 

implementation and the evaluation of program progress for each of these islands. The HECO Companies remain 

responsible for demand response programs and system efficiency efforts, while KIUC is responsible for all existing 

building efficiency program work, demand response programs and system efficiency efforts on Kauai. 

12 www.hawaiicleanenergyinitiative.org

III. End-Use Efficiency Sector (2011-2020)

3

Based off Sept. 2010 EEPS Projected Load and Efficiency Contribution Scenarios, PUC Docket 2010-0037. Jim Flanagan, PBFA. Scenario 2. key 

assumptions include maintenance of current funding levels, mandatory CFL installation in code, and 30 year Solar Hot Water heater lifespan 4

Per NREL New Construction Potential Analysis, Sept. 2010
New construction efficiency is the purview of the Hawaii Building Code Council, while individual building code 

adoption is determined at the county level. All of the critical actions outlined in this section, as well as the appendix, 

will depend on work done by one or more of these groups moving forward. 

YEARS 2016-2020

GOALS

As with years 2011-2015, interim milestones for End-Use Efficiency have been set based on interim savings 

projections necessary for the attainment of the EEPS. These 10 year milestones are also subject to any rulings by the 

PUC in docket 2010-0037.

• 2020 Existing Building Savings Target: 1,400 GWh5

• 2020 New Construction Savings Target: 730 GWh6

STRATEGIC PATH FORWARD

In this time period, measured and steady expansion of energy efficiency progress is expected, although incremental 

improvements in efficiency will get more expensive as all “low hanging fruit” opportunities are capitalized on. 

Therefore, the emphasis in the out years should be on comprehensive retrofits, integrated new construction design, 

and attempting to lower cost barriers to generating deeper efficiency improvements. HCEI considers the following to 

be of strategic importance in the 2016-2020 time period:

Align efficiency regulatory and policy framework with clean energy goals:

At this juncture, the basic regulatory framework to allow the incorporation of large-scale end use efficiency into 

the utility business model will have been implemented. However, additional issues regarding information sharing 

via intelligent appliances, net-metering, and similar items centered on the management of electricity demand may 

require future policy or regulatory actions. Likewise, policies to help leverage private capital in innovative manners 

will always be necessary to ensure that efficiency gets done on the scale necessary to attain the EEPS. These policies 

and regulatory improvements will be determined as the need for deeper efficiency cuts down the line becomes a 

reality. 

Retrofit residential and commercial existing buildings:

In the retrofit markets, continued emphasis should be placed on evaluating innovative efficiency business cases and 

financing best practices throughout this time span. Leveraging private sector capital to make efficiency improvements 

to the existing building stock remains one of the most critical elements in attaining the goals outlined in the EEPS. 

Specific attention should also be paid to the incorporation of next generation technologies into retrofit practices, and 

quantifying the additional savings resulting from them.

Strengthen new construction policies/building codes:

On the new construction side of things, three areas for consideration in the 2016-2020 timeframe are:

1. Evaluation and adoption of the future IECC code (est. 2021) with a goal of zero net energy for new construction

2. Leveraging information from net-zero energy building pilots from across the country to identify and apply best 

practices in new building design and construction

3. Identification of new technologies (e.g., solar dehumidification) for incorporation into new construction

www.hawaiicleanenergyinitiative.org 13

III. End-Use Efficiency Sector (2011-2020)

5

Based off Sept. 2010 EEPS Projected Load and Efficiency Contribution Scenarios, PUC Docket 2010-0037. Jim Flanagan, PBFA. Scenario 2. key assumptions include 

maintenance of current funding levels, mandatory CFL installation in code, and 30 year Solar Hot Water heater lifespan

6

Per NREL New Construction Potential Analysis, Sept. 2010
Identify non-building related energy efficiency measures:

Specific non-building related energy efficiency measures have been identified in the previous timeframe. Certain new 

technologies, which may not become viable in the previous five year period, should be re-evaluated in this period. One 

example of this is sea water air-conditioning, which raises difficulties in avoiding stranded costs on many existing AC 

units in the areas being considered.

Moreover, certain existing technologies, whose functionality and economics are well understood today, may discover 

that incremental improvements will become cost-effective within this time frame, and should require additional 

attention. One example is the reduction of line-losses from the transmission/distribution system, particularly if 

increased energy storage and smart grid capability are built into the grid itself. 

MEASURING SUCCESS AND ADJUSTING GOALS OVER TIME

By the end of year 5, there should be momentum in the implementation of energy efficiency policies. From years 

2-5, a process for measuring success needs to be implemented to ensure that progress is being made. While not all 

of this progress will be measurable in numeric terms, all of these critical elements of HCEI should count towards 

the measurement of success. To this end, a “top down” policy for the measurement of quantifiable savings should be 

used to determine progress towards HCEI goals. While it may include other market factors at work (e.g., the overall 

performance of the economy, the price of oil), we can better account for these factors than we can reliably project the 

impact of specific policies whose impact may not be directly measureable. The utilities, DOE’s Energy Information 

Administration and DBEDT track relevant electricity usage statistics for the State. These figures have been used to set 

the baseline fuel usage estimates highlighted in the introduction to this Road Map (based in particular on the utility 

IRP-3s). These same services will continue to measure these statistics over time, allowing HCEI to measure progress 

against the original numbers by evaluating year-to-year electricity usage against that forecast in the IRPs. 

However, because of the high margin for error associated with this basic approach to external variables, all top down 

estimated savings should be cross-checked in a “bottom up” fashion against numbers tracked by individual players in 

each field, including, but not limited to, the utility companies (HECO, MECO, HELCO, KIUC), the PBFA and DBEDT. 

Finally, in focusing on attaining an interim EEPS goal for years 1-5, the PUC will periodically review progress towards 

the goal laid out in the standard to determine if progress is sufficient to attain the goal. Penalties for non-compliance 

or adjustments to the EEPS itself will be made accordingly. Therefore, all savings measurements should be compared 

to the appropriate milestone as determined by the PUC. 

At the end of each year, this section should be revisited to reflect any updates to the EEPS and interim milestones 

documented by the PUC.

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III. End-Use Efficiency Sector (2011-2020)
The strategies and goals for this section are tied to ground transportation at the present time. HCEI will develop an 

understanding of the needs of large buyers in the aviation and defense sector. In the future, marine and aviation 

biofuel alternatives may be substituted to help meet the goal by displacing the equivalent of 70% of ground 

transportation demand with non-fossil fuels. This is considered in more depth in the Fuels section of this Road Map.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS TO DATE (2010)

Using a comprehensive fuel reduction strategy, HCEI developed four savings measure categories for potential action 

which include:

STRATEGY REPRESENTATIVE* ACCOMPLISHMENTS TO DATE

Improve standard vehicle efficiency 

of fleet

• Oahu Transit Services took delivery of 20 new HEV buses, bringing the total to 80 HEV transit buses

• Sales of hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) reached approximately 2% of annual vehicles sales for a total of 6,500 

HEVs on the road by 2009.

Reduce vehicle miles traveled (VMT) • Oahu public transit system is one of the most highly ridden per capita in nation

Incorporate renewable fuels into 

transportation sector

• 10% of the gasoline fueled transportation fleet fuel (~50 MGY) displaced through use of ethanol in blending 

standards

• Renewable hydrogen production, refueling, and hydrogen fleet demonstration established at Honolulu’s Joint 

Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam 

• Continued use of locally produced biodiesel (B20) in the City and County of Honolulu fleet

Accelerate the deployment of 

electric vehicles (EVs) and related 

infrastructure

• Initiated Hawaii EV Ready Program, which will provide $4M in grants and rebates through ARRA funding for 

the installation of EV charging network and the purchase of new, commercially-available full-speed electric 

and plug in vehicles

• EV pilot rates approved by the PUC and went into effect on October 1st, 2010 (HECO/MECO/HELCO) 

• The state is promoting vehicle industry participation through numerous partnerships with automotive and 

infrastructure suppliers

• Accelerate the deployment of electric and hydrogen vehicles and related infrastructure

*For a full list of accomplishments, please see Appendix A

GOALS

All EV goals assume the general availability of vehicles and a decline in estimated purchase price vis-à-vis standard 

vehicles. Thus, in the short term, these numbers are relatively low, but climb rapidly after year 2015 based on an 

assumed surge in EV adoption. 

As the strategies outlined above are more difficult to measure in terms of a common metric, separate targets/metrics 

were chosen by the working group for ease of measurement. However, based on HCEI’s transportation analysis 

(Appendix C), this combination of measures together should allow the State to attain its transportation milestones not 

just in years 1-5, but overall as well. 

www.hawaiicleanenergyinitiative.org 15

IV. Transportation Sector

(2011-2020)
STRATEGY 2015 GOAL

Improve standard vehicle efficiency of fleet 25 MPG – average of all cars on the road

18 MPG – average of all light-duty trucks on the road

Reduce vehicle miles traveled (VMT) 2% VMT reduction over 2010 miles traveled

Accelerate the deployment of electric vehicles (EVs)

and related infrastructure

4,000 EVs/year being sold (10,000 EVs on road), and supporting EV infrastructure 

installed

Incorporate renewable fuels into transportation sector Maintain current E10 Standard, continue current levels of biodiesel usage

CORE STRATEGIES

The strategies adopted under the Transportation section of this Road Map are specifically designed to provide a 

comprehensive array of options to generate transportation savings in both the short and the long run. It is expected, 

due to the lag time for deployment of the more advanced EV and renewable fuel technologies and the uncertain 

forecast on cost reductions for these vehicle types over time, that the majority of year 2011-2015 savings will come 

from the vehicle efficiency and VMT reduction options. In the long run, this trend may eventually reverse itself, with 

EVs and renewable fuel vehicles providing improved efficiency above and beyond standard combustion engines. 

Alternative vehicle and fuel technologies including EV batteries, hydrogen infrastructure and fuel cells, bio-fuels, and 

new fuel efficient vehicle technologies are currently undergoing rapid development programs throughout the world. 

During this time period, the HCEI Transportation Working Group and stakeholders need to continue to monitor 

progress and adjust goals and strategies as these technologies and market mature.

STRATEGY REPRESENTATIVE* IMPORTANT ACTIONS: YEARS 1-5 (2015 TARGET DATE)

Improve standard vehicle efficiency of fleet • Promote purchase of vehicles more efficient than current State efficiency avg. 

(20 MPG cars, 14 MPG trucks) 

• Promote current hybrid technologies to assist in the attainment of improved fleet 

 MPG goals

• Evaluate the potential of biodiesel fuel switching for trucks and other vehicles that may 

not have clear electric alternatives

Reduce vehicle miles traveled (VMT) • Identify VMT reduction options, and reach out to key stakeholders 

• Promote commute reduction options (e.g., telecommuting, car/van pooling)

• Identify ways of quantifying commute cost to drivers (e.g., highlight pass through 

 of parking costs to employees)

• Study current public transit service with respect to demand (e.g. evaluate light rail 

 and other public transit alternatives)

Incorporate renewable fuels into Transportation sector • Evaluate/study alternative fuel vehicle options for the State, along with supporting 

infrastructure (e.g., hydrogen, flex fuel) through participation in the Hawaii Hydrogen 

Initiative and other similar programs

• Encourage drop-in replacement renewable jet fuel and marine diesel; evaluate the 

impact of counting delivered volumes against ground reduction target

Accelerate the deployment of EV and related infrastructure • Complete the development of EV charging network and electric vehicles covered 

 under the Hawaii EV Ready program

• Provide incentives for early adopters for both vehicles and charging equipment 

• Work with automotive industry to continue to increase EV market penetration in 

 quantity and vehicle type

• Monitor and refine incentive structures for different types of EVs 

*For a full list of critical actions, please see Appendix B

It must be noted that there are significant interactions effects between the strategies outlined above. For example, 

future improvements to vehicle efficiency standards at the national level may result in more petroleum offsets than 

they projected from vehicle efficiency, while at the same time lowering the relative MPG savings from VMT and EV 

options. Conversely, reducing the vehicle miles traveled will lower the potential savings from all other vehicle options, 

while increasing improvements in the efficiency of electric motors and controls over time will increase EV savings 

16 www.hawaiicleanenergyinitiative.org

IV. Transportation Sector
relative to standard vehicles. To this end, HCEI will modify its goals accordingly as new information becomes available. 

Also, in many cases, HCEI’s transportation fuel reduction ability may be limited by the high impact that outside 

players (e.g., car manufacturers) will have on local markets. Therefore, all areas over which HCEI has direct control, 

such as VMT reduction, are deemed critical to the success of HCEI if the market moves in an unexpected direction in 

some of the other areas. 

YEARS 2016-2020

GOALS

For the Transportation sector, the goals for the 2020 time period are identified in the table below:

STRATEGY 2020 GOAL

Improve standard vehicle efficiency of fleet 30 MPG - average of all cars on the road

22 MPG - average of all light-duty trucks on the road

Reduce vehicle miles traveled (VMT) 4% VMT reduction over 2010 miles traveled

Accelerate the deployment of electric vehicles (EVs) and related infrastructure 10K EVs/year being sold

(40,000 EVs on road)

Incorporate renewable fuels into transportation sector 50 MGY of renewable fuels

STRATEGIC PATH FORWARD

As noted in the previous section, certain advanced technologies should be commercially available and may be 

deployable on a large-scale basis from 2016 on. These technologies will form the core of HCEI’s long term strategy 

for reducing transportation fuel usage. As of today, these technologies are concentrated primarily in:

Renewable Fuels

Strategies for the development of domestic renewable fuels industry are outlined in the following section. However, 

certain overlaps with the transportation critical strategies may occur where the testing and development of alternative 

vehicles to use non-drop in replacement7

 fuels are needed. Some examples of such a need for an alternative vehicle 

would be the deployment of hydrogen fuel cell powered or flex-fuel vehicles in the State. 

Electric Vehicles

While electric vehicles have been deployed previously on a limited scale, the costs, performance standards and 

infrastructure needs for the current wave of electric vehicle technologies are just now beginning to be fully 

understood, particularly in the context of large-scale deployment. By 2016-2020, a better understanding of EVs 

should be in place, and the appropriate infrastructure installed to allow for their deployment on a wider scale. Thus, 

the ten year time period will be critical as a launching point for large-scale EV adoption in the State.

On the other hand, opportunities to generate ground transportation savings that do not rely directly on future 

technology advancement, such as vehicle efficiency and VMT reduction, will still be fully viable as a means of 

offsetting some measure of petroleum usage throughout the duration of HCEI. Thus, the forecasts for vehicle 

efficiency improvements and VMT reduction are more incremental in nature. However, alternative business models 

and policy options to encourage them should continue to be researched and evaluated for deployment in Hawaii as we 

move forward. 

MEASURING SUCCESS AND ADJUSTING GOALS OVER TIME

By the end of 2015, there should be momentum in the implementation of transport policies. From 2011 on, a process 

for measuring success needs to be implemented to ensure that progress towards the goals is realistically being made. 

As each strategy outlined above will have different “success” criteria, a separate monitoring and verification policy will 

www.hawaiicleanenergyinitiative.org 17

IV. Transportation Sector

7

For the purposes of this report, drop-in replacement fuels are defined as biofuels with chemically similar structures to petroleum products that can be blended 

with petroleum fuels without causing performance issues
be necessary for each of them to be effectively monitored. 

EVs

All EV sales figures should be tracked through new vehicle registrations with Hawaii Auto Dealers’ Association 

(HADA) and DBEDT.

Renewable Fuels

Renewable fuels used in Transportation should be tracked and reported, including the use of ethanol to meet the 

State’s E10 mandate.

Vehicle Miles Traveled Reduction

Annual average VMT per vehicle are available through the Hawaii State Department of Transportation and are 

summarized in the DBEDT databook. Percent reductions in VMT can be calculated from these annual estimates. 

Vehicle Efficiency

Current vehicle fuel usage is recorded by the Hawaii State Department of Taxation, Tax Research and Planning. These 

are available in the annual DBEDT databook. Total numbers of vehicles registered in the State are recorded by HADA 

and likewise available through the databook. Average VMT traveled per vehicle/year are available as noted in the 

VMT reduction section above. Therefore, the total fleet efficiency can be calculated through the simple equation:

Total Fleet Efficiency (MPG) = (Total # of VMT per year for State) / (Total gal of fuel used in State per year).

However, this metric is not intended to capture the benefits that will accrue in terms of efficiency due to EVs (those 

benefits are accounted for in the EV goals already). Therefore, total fleet efficiency must be calculated after removing 

EVs from the equation. To this end, the fleet efficiency equation must be adjusted as follows: Total non-EV fleet 

efficiency = [(Total # of VMT per year – Total # of VMT traveled on electricity) / (Total gallons of fuel used per year)

Total VMT traveled on electricity should be based on the mix of EV types sold in State/registered (battery electric 

vehicle [BEV] vs. plug-in hybrid electric vehicle [PHEV]). BEVs are assumed to operate 100% on electricity. 

18 www.hawaiicleanenergyinitiative.org

IV. Transportation Sector
Renewable fuels, including biofuels and other non-petroleum-based fuel types that can be produced sustainably (e.g. 

hydrogen), are an essential part of the HCEI clean energy strategy. Biofuels, or stored energy, are defined for the 

purposes of this Road Map as any liquid fuel produced from biomass or natural oils that can be used for electrical 

generation or transportation purposes. While all types of biofuels will be necessary for the attainment of HCEI goals, 

a distinction must be made between drop-in replacement fuels, (i.e. biofuels with chemically similar structures to 

petroleum products that can be blended with petroleum fuels without causing performance issues) and non-drop in 

replacement fuels, such as ethanol, which is an imperfect substitute for gasoline and may require a corresponding 

additional infrastructure investment in certain cases. This Road Map does not discriminate between drop-in 

replacement and non-drop-in replacement fuels, other than to note that not all future fuel usage can be met through 

the use of non-drop-in fuels only (for example, jet fuel constitutes 30% of current fuel demand in the State, and does 

not currently have a non-drop-in substitute). Several important considerations form the basis of the need for a strong 

biofuels policy for the State of Hawaii. 

1. Overall, alternative fuels will be an essential component of meeting the 70% goal for both electrical generation 

and Transportation. This is especially true for transportation since there are a fewer options for attaining the 

goal of 385 MGY of petroleum fuel reduced

2. Biofuel feedstock production offers a means of preserving traditional agricultural lands and jobs. Ideally, as 

much of the local demand as possible should be met through local sources. If it is not deemed possible to meet 

all demand through local sources, imports of domestic U.S. products should be the next option for the State, 

followed by foreign imports as a lowest priority source of fuel

3. At the present time, there is not a detailed understanding of what feedstock crops at what scale could potentially 

be grown in Hawaii. Therefore, if local fuels production is the optimal socially desirable outcome, identifying this 

potential must be the key focus for years 1-5 of this Road Map. If insufficient potential exists, other alternatives 

to meet this demand must be found. One potential option of this type is hydrogen fuel, which is currently being 

studied in Hawaii on a small scale

4. If fuels are produced locally, efforts must be taken to ensure that the industry is sustainable in nature. This 

means that all feedstock production practices must not be just economical, but sustainable from an agricultural 

perspective as well. As an example of this, the HECO companies have adopted National Resource Defense 

Council standards for their recent biofuel request for proposals (RFP)8

 . Important areas of concern include: 

local feedstock support mechanisms, sourcing requirements for palm oil, additional baseline environmental 

criteria for all feedstock, chain of custody tracking for feedstock and oils, greenhouse gas emissions accounting 

and reporting, establishment of a biofuels public trust fund, public review and notification and public progress 

reporting and contingencies 

In addition to understanding the true potential of locally produced fuels, significant attention must also be paid to the 

existing petroleum infrastructure in the State. The critical issues that must be understood in any fuels policy include:

1. Any future reduction in overall petroleum usage will reduce the revenues of the two local petroleum refineries. 

For them, a shift to refining biofuels will likely be necessary to maintain viability. These refineries provide 

a reserve of local expertise in chemistry, engineering, and industrial processes that could be helpful in the 

development of local biorefining capability.

V. Fuels

(2011-2020)

www.hawaiicleanenergyinitiative.org 19

8

HECO Biofuels RFP, March 31, 2010, http://www.heco.com/vcmcontent/StaticFiles/pdf/RFPrev1.pdf, last accessed 11/23/10
2. Even with a significant demand for biofuels in-State, there will still be a major need for traditional petroleum 

products for blending in transportation, aviation and electrical generation fuel. By using the existing petroleum 

refining infrastructure to create these blends, the State preserves a high value option for supplying its future 

petroleum, as well as biofuel, demand. 

3. The existing petroleum shipping infrastructure could also be leveraged to support a biofuel industry in-State

Overall, having a detailed understanding of the future markets for various types of biofuel and how it lines up with the 

potential supply of feedstock that can be produced in the State, is essential for the development of a sustainable local 

fuels industry.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS TO DATE (2010)

Understanding the domestic potential of Hawaii’s agricultural sector to support a large, sustainable, biofuels industry 

has been the primary focus of HCEI’s activities to date. However the strategy adopted by HCEI in this sector will 

eventually expand well beyond that to incorporate all aspects of the renewable fuels supply chain. 

STRATEGY REPRESENTATIVE* ACCOMPLISHMENTS TO DATE

Evaluate local agricultural potential/

support its development

• Hawaii Bioenergy Master Plan completed 

• Phase I of DARPA Algae Study complete (Phase II pending)

• Several small-scale crop trials underway across a range of institutions

Invest in key logistical/generation 

infrastructure 

• HECO CIP CT-1 Biofuel Generators Installed and testing of biodiesel in unit is completed

• HECO completed test of 100% biodiesel at Kahe power plant

Evaluate and develop renewable fuel 

processing infrastructure

• Pacific biodiesel Big Island project underway

• Several pilot scale drop-in replacement fuel refinery projects underway in State (e.g. Phycal,

and UOP/Tesoro projects)

Match potential fuels supply to sources

of in-State demand

• HECO RFP issued for 210 MGY of locally produced biofuels (first contract signed)

• DoD RFI issued for 25% of current aviation, marine and ground diesel fuel demand 

• HCEI transportation analysis complete, indicating additional need for ground transportation fuels 

(~150 MGY by 2030)

*For a full list of accomplishments, please see Appendix A

GOALS

In the short term, the Fuel sector will be a work in progress. By all estimates, advanced technologies for the large scale 

production of drop-in replacement biofuels are approximately 5 years away from being commercially viable, as the 

current wave of pilot plants are being constructed now. While viable technologies capable of producing biodiesel are 

currently in operation on the islands, production has been limited in scale to date by the lack of large-scale availability 

of oil-based feedstocks. Thus, short term goals and critical items for biofuels are relatively conservative until the 

results of these pilots are understood and the agricultural sector can be expanded to generate a steady supply of 

feedstock to support the refineries. The 2015 goals for the fuels sector in Hawaii are: 

20 www.hawaiicleanenergyinitiative.org

V. Fuels
SOURCE OF DEMAND ESTIMATED TOTAL GREEN REPLACEMENT FUEL DEMAND (2015)

The HECO Companies ~45 MGY renewable Fuel 

KIUC 100,000 gal/year

The Department of Defense TBD MGY renewable JP8

TBD MGY renewable J5

TBD MGY renewable F76

TBD MGY renewable Diesel Fuel/biodiesel

The Ground Transport Sector Maintain current E10 standard and biodiesel usage

These goals are based on five key drivers:

1. HECO’s estimated 2015 demand is directly related to its ability to attain its RPS goals. Should it exceed its target 

for generating electricity through other renewable services to meet the RPS, this estimated demand could be 

revised down, and vice versa

2. The utilities must abide by PUC decisions regarding competitive pricing for any renewable fuels they wish to use 

in their generators

3. The Department of Defense has set a goal that a quarter of all of its marine, aviation and diesel fuels be met 

through the use of biofuels

4. All ground transport demand estimates are based on the assumption that the current E10 standard will remain 

in place through 2015, with renewable drop-in gasoline eventually supplementing ethanol in the 2015-2020 time 

frame

5. The supply of biofuels from the current biorefineries in the State, while critical to the attainment of HCEI goals, 

will be unlikely to match the scale of demand forecast here without significant new sources of feedstock

Given the diverse nature of the demand for many different types of biofuels in the market and the relative uncertainty 

of what local supply will be available to meet them, our core strategies and important actions for the next five years 

must be centered around evaluating potential feedstock production capabilities in the state and matching them to the 

various demand niches in the market. These niches are highlighted in the table below: 

TYPE OF FUEL DEMAND TYPE

Ethanol Ground transportation only

Renewable Gasoline Ground transportation only

Biodiesel Ground transportation and generation

Renewable Diesel Ground/marine transportation and generation

Renewable Residual Fuel (e.g. raw pyrolysis oil) Generation only

Renewable Jet Fuel Air transport only

With the different qualities of these various types of fuels, sub-markets may develop around each as we progress. 

Understanding the nature of these markets and identifying areas where Hawaii can be competitive in the long term 

are the essential components of our overall strategy for years 2011-2015.

Core Strategies

Biofuels will play a critical role in Hawaii’s successful attainment of its 70% clean energy goal. Since biofuels have 

to compete not just with petroleum, but global imports, cost-effectiveness of production becomes the key item of 

strategic importance. HCEI seeks to accelerate the process of developing a cost-effective local industry by evaluating 

and encouraging investment in all core aspects of the fuels supply chain. This chain breaks down into four areas of 

critical strategic importance to the State (highlighted on the following page):

www.hawaiicleanenergyinitiative.org 21

V. Fuels
STRATEGY REPRESENTATIVE* IMPORTANT ACTIONS: YEARS 1-5 (2015 TARGET DATE)

Evaluate local agricultural potential/

support its development

• Work with government agencies to resolve land, water and labor issues re: use of agricultural lands 

• Evaluate optimal business models, matching feedstock production to refining infrastructure needs 

where possible

• Integrate and update recent studies to map agricultural crops to specific lands, factoring

in necessary production scale

• Expand feedstock demos, with emphasis on identifying highest yielding crops for Hawaii

Invest in key logistical/generation 

infrastructure 

• Analyze the biofuels supply chain to identify key transportation/pre-processing infrastructure needs

• Establish work-force training programs to re-build agricultural knowledge base

• Expand pre-processing and refining construction sectors

Evaluate and develop renewable fuel 

processing infrastructure

• Work with counties to streamline permitting process from start (crop growth) to finish (fuel refining) 

• Complete UOP/Tesoro integrated biorefinery Pilot

• Evaluate progress of in-State algae pilots

Match potential fuels supply to sources

of in-State demand 

• Track subsequent changes in market demand for fuels across all fuel types

• Develop long-term contracts for the use of biofuels in generation and military transport 

• Monitor the development of advanced biofuels technologies, including the National Advanced Biofuels 

Consortium

*For a full list of accomplishments, please see Appendix A

Given the current pilot phase of many of the technologies being considered for use in the State, and the unknown 

ability of the State to generate the feedstocks necessary for the production of large-scale biofuels cost-effectively, 

HCEI expects clearer answers to many of the questions regarding the ability of the local industry to support a biofuel 

industry of any scale by the 2015 time period when the current round of integrated biorefinery pilots is complete.

Also in this time period, the question of demand for aviation fuel needs to be more fully understood and an aviation 

fuel goal developed along with a list of prioritized action items. This will require outreach to the private sector 

airlines operational in Hawaii as well as the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) to determine estimated future levels 

of demand. HCEI hopes to have a series of aviation fuels goals outlined within the next 2 years as more information 

becomes available on the progression of the market.

YEARS 2016-2020

Due to the lag necessary for the development of the technologies needed for large-scale renewable fuels production, 

2015-2020 will be critical to the success of HCEI’s fuels goals. Both HECO and DoD have stated that they anticipate 

accelerating biofuel usage significantly in this period, and as such, the goals for this time period represent a significant 

jump from 2015 levels, as summarized below: 

SOURCE OF DEMAND ESTIMATED TOTAL GREEN REPLACEMENT FUEL DEMAND (2020)

The HECO Companies 80 MGY renewable generation fuel (based off estimated RPS demand)

KIUC TBD

The Department of Defense9 32 MGY renewable fuels

The Ground Transport Sector 50 MGY of renewable fuels

As the long term fuels strategy is based primarily on the continued development of technologies capable of providing 

large scale renewable fuels production, these goals should be revisited based on the results of pilot studies across all 

feedstock types. 

STRATEGIC PATH FORWARD:

While the need to understand the potential of the agricultural sector and the market demand for biofuels is critical 

22 www.hawaiicleanenergyinitiative.org

V. Fuels

9

DoD targets based on prorated share of stated DoD RFI Demand (i.e. 50% of total demand by year 2020)
in years 1-5, moving forward, the State will need to have a firm picture of what the local production capacity for 

feedstock is, how the logistics of transporting, pre-processing it, and refining it will be by the time years 2016-2020 

arrive. To this end, this time period should focus on:

Evaluate local agricultural industry potential and support its development as needed:

By 2016, the optimal business models for the development of a strong agricultural sector will have been identified, 

and food and fuel feedstock produced in some combination at levels suitable to what is sustainable in Hawaii. 

This optimal level will largely determine what sort of logistics are needed for feedstock transport.

Understand and invest in key logistical infrastructure to develop economies of scale:

Where possible, economies of scale should be developed throughout the transportation system for both food and fuel 

products. For example, central pre-processing plants may be optimal for the generation of economies of scale in a 

scenario where many small plots of land need to combine their feedstock to produce a liquid biocrude for transport 

and refining. In this scenario, leveraging the previous sugar industry transportation and shipping cooperative model 

may be one option for moving feedstock to central refining facilities. In another scenario, where fuel is refined and 

consumed on-site, this investment in large scale transport infrastructure may not be necessary.

Evaluate and develop renewable fuel processing infrastructure:

Depending on local feedstock production capabilities and the logistics chain, additional infrastructure for the 

development of small-scale, local refining facilities (in the case of low feedstock production capacity) or the leveraging 

of existing petroleum refining infrastructure to generate large-scale capacity (in the case of high feedstock production 

capacity) will be necessary in this time period. If large scale capacity is not available, a systematic plan dealing 

with the need for imports will have to be developed, ideally based on the need to keep the State’s current refining 

infrastructure operational (to continue to provide for cost-effective petroleum products in addition to biofuels.) 

Match potential fuels supply to key sources of demand in-State:

While demand is unlikely to wait until the overall local production capabilities are completely clear, secure contracts 

for the supply of biofuels from local suppliers will need to be negotiated in this time frame, where cost-effective and 

applicable. Aligning these contracts with specific end use demand and what local production is available is essential 

to the development of an economically sustainable industry in-State, as the local use of fuels will help local products 

maintain their competitiveness with imports that bear significant shipping costs.

MEASURING SUCCESS, AND ADJUSTING GOALS OVER TIME

As all fuel goals are set in terms of MGY of fuel produced/consumed in State, tracking the fuel production and use 

goals will be done via the use of Renewable Identification Numbers (RINs) assigned to specific fuel units by the 

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)10 . 

Imports may also be tracked through RIN numbers, although these will need to be recorded by the importer in 

question in order to verify their use in-State.

www.hawaiicleanenergyinitiative.org 23

V. Fuels

10EPA RIN Program: http://www.epa.gov/oms/fuels/renewablefuels/compliancehelp/index.htm, last accessed 11/23/10
Unlike Sections II through V, this section evaluates the four energy sectors together. By 2021, significant progress 

should have been made towards HCEI goals. From a vantage point in 2010, it is difficult to forecast exact projects 

completed or technologies that may be available; however, a sample of potential progress based on the milestones 

from the previous time periods for each group is provided in the table below: 

HCEI TARGET SECTOR 2025 GOAL

Electricity 32.5% of total generation is renewable

End-Use Efficiency 3,500 GWh reduced (subject to PUC revision)

Transportation 300 MGY of transport fuel reduced

Fuels 350 MGY of renewable fuels consumed

For all scenarios, the future price of oil will be deciding factor, as it will materially impact the bottom line for each 

of the alternative outcomes under consideration. Likewise, any future price put on the emission of carbon will likely 

materially impact the potential attainment of our goals. Finally, any new technologies or approaches that suggest 

major strategy revision or change of direction will need to be factored into our future evaluation as well (e.g., Is 

OTEC fully developed and cost effective? Has algae oil succeeded in driving the cost of biofuels down significantly?) 

However, in focusing on the alternatives that are largely within the control of the State, the major decision points that 

will underpin potential future outcomes are:

1. Island connectivity: Are one or more of the islands connected via undersea cable to allow greater 

 resource flexibility?

2. Energy efficiency: Have the goals of the EEPS been met, alleviating the need for increased investment in 

generation technology and improving the ratio of firm to variable resources on the grid?

3. Biofuels: Has an in-State biofuel industry been created, allowing a secure source of fuel for generation and 

transportation? If so, at what scale? If not, how do biofuel imports cloud the economics of HCEI?

4. Electric vehicles: Have EV and hydrogen vehicle technology progressed as hoped, and has the State succeeded in 

deploying advanced vehicles in significant numbers? 

VI. Fifteen Year Goals

(2021-2025)

24 www.hawaiicleanenergyinitiative.org
Depending on what combination of these scenarios come about, HCEI’s progress towards its goals at year 15 will vary. 

The potential impact and progress accounted for across these decision points is laid out in the table below:

SCENARIO LOWER BOUND UPPER BOUND

Inter-island connectivity None. This limits Hawaii to only those resources 

available to each island individually, leading to 

decreased (or more expensive) renewable energy 

penetration on Oahu

Oahu, Lanai, Molokai, Maui and the Big Island are all 

connected via inter-island cable, allowing significant 

wind and geothermal resources to be harnessed and 

applied to the areas of greatest need

Energy Efficiency Progress made during the recession reverses itself, 

and only limited amounts of MWh are taken offline. 

This leads to a need for increased investment in 

potentially expensive generation technologies to meet 

HCEI goals, especially on Oahu, where most of the 

load is located and renewable resources are limited

EEPS goals are maintained, or closely matched. 

This allows Oahu to meet its 70% clean energy 

goal without investing in more expensive alternative 

generation technology options

Biofuels No in-State industry is formed, forcing all biofuels

to be imported. Does not materially contribute to 

HCEI goals of increasing energy security or lowering 

energy price volatility

A healthy in-State industry is formed, and a 

significant fraction of electricity generation and 

transportation demand is offset through contracts 

with local suppliers/refiners. Allows firm clean 

generation while meeting HCEI goals

Electric Vehicles Price premiums for vehicles do not fall significantly, 

charging equipment is under-invested, and low 

levels of EVs are purchased. This leads to limited 

transportation options, either forcing the State 

to pursue more efficient standard vehicle mix or 

increased biofuel blending standards to offset the 

lack of EVs

Price premiums for vehicles fall with battery 

prices, charging infrastructure is installed, and 

plug-in vehicles reach up to 20% of the fleet by 

2030. Increases need for renewable generation to 

meet RPS, but lowers need to strengthen blending 

standards for transportation fuel. High efficiency 

standard vehicle mix should still be pursued

PROGRESS TOWARDS HCEI GOALS IN YEAR 15, BY SCENARIO

This section should be revisited in five-year increments to be sure that nominal notions of “success” stay in tune with 

market realities. In year 10, a list of critical items should be generated for the potential end-scenarios identified above, 

based on progress at that time. 

Should the preponderance of these updated goals not be met by the end of year 15, key gaps should be identified and 

strategies for replacing non-viable items generated. Adjusting the final goals should be considered only as a matter of 

last resort, if it becomes apparent that the progress of HCEI is far away from the milestones set in year 10. 

www.hawaiicleanenergyinitiative.org 25

VI. Fifteen Year Goals (2021-2025)
While the overarching goals of HCEI are relatively straightforward, success will be determined in 2030 by attaining 

milestones laid out in each of the working group areas. That is:

1. Has the RPS been attained? 

2. Has the EEPS been attained? If not, were the PUC and PBFA milestones attained?

3. Have our transport goals been attained?

4. Have DoD, HECO, KIUC and the transport sectors met their biofuel targets?

A scenario in which all of HCEI’s 2030 goals are met—a transformation of the energy sector—would look like

the following:

ENERGY SECTOR 2030 GOAL

Electricity 40% of electricity demand met through renewable sources of energy

End Use Efficiency Electricity demand reduced by 4,300 GWh (e.g, 2,800 GWh – existing buildings, 1,500 GWh

new construction)

Transportation 385 MGY of petroleum fuels offset (150 MGY renewable fuels, 120 MGY vehicle efficiency,

75 MGY electric vehicles, 40 MGY VMT reduction)

Fuels All in-State demand met (~500 MGY)

If all of these targets have been met by the review period of 2030, then a future plan for HCEI should be developed in 

which the State defines its role in the development of clean energy resources moving forward. If these targets have not 

been met to the satisfaction of the HCEI Steering Committee, an additional gap analysis should be conducted in which 

remaining critical items are identified for continued action by HCEI and its stakeholders. 

Should HCEI deem its mission complete, a debriefing of HCEI’s role in the transformation of the energy sector should 

be given to all key parties involved in HCEI’s success. This debriefing will highlight funding spent and the net return 

in terms of energy savings, carbon savings, and economic savings to the State of Hawaii as a result. Target audiences 

for this debriefing include, but are not limited to:

1. The Governor’s Office

2. DOE

3. The Hawaii State Legislature

4. HCEI Working Group stakeholders

5. The general public

Given the cutting edge nature of these goals, and their relevance to many other energy users globally, attention should 

also be paid to the development of case studies and best practices to assist others in the replication of Hawaii’s success.

Finally, a decision about whether Hawaii should seek to exceed its current target of 70% clean energy will be necessary 

moving forward from this point. Alternatives and options for continued leadership in all sectors of the energy market 

should be weighed and evaluated. Whether this is through the continued operation of HCEI or an alternative State 

strategy will be the primary area for consideration at this time. Either way, successful attainment of HCEI goals should 

be viewed as a major milestone in the push for a sustainable energy sector, but not the end point itself.

VII. 2030 Outcome and Conclusions

26 www.hawaiicleanenergyinitiative.org
ELECTRICITY:

Align electricity regulatory and policy framework with clean energy goals:

1. ACT 155 (2009), HB 1464, signed June 25, 2009, RPS set to 15% by 2015, 25% by 2020, and 40% by 2030. EEPS not 

counted in RPS beyond 2015. In May 2009, the PUC issued an order initiating the Clean Energy Scenario Planning 

(CESP) docket which will examine proposed amendments to the 1992 IRP 

2. ACT 154 (2009), Senate Bill 464, signed June 25, 2009: The Renewable Energy Technologies Income Tax Credit

3. ACT 050 (2009), HB 1270, signed May 6, 2009: De-linking of avoided cost and the price of fossil fuel 

4. HCEI Outreach Program launched in 2010 with the use of ARRA funds

5. Hawaii County Geothermal Working Group created (SCR 99, 2010) to analyze potential of geothermal energy to 

provide base load on the Big Island

6. Policy pertaining to HECO Companies only: HECO Energy Agreement w/ State:

a. Energy Agreement between State and HECO Companies signed, October, 2008

b. HECO Companies Feed-in Tariff for Variable Renewable Energy Generation Docket completed. 80 MW of PV 

approved for installation under the tariff

c. Pursuant to the Energy Agreement, the HECO companies filed a proposal with the PUC in April 2009 to 

implement a two-year PV Host Pilot Program, which includes the installation of 8 MW of PV on Oahu.

d. Other open dockets include; Lifeline Rates; Clean Energy Infrastructure Surcharge; several purchased power 

agreements; and biofuel testing at the HECO companies’ generation units.

7. Policy pertaining to KIUC Only: KIUC Strategic Plan (2008)

a. 50% renewable energy goal by 2023

Increase certainty in the process for developing new renewables:

8. Created permitting inventories and guidebook for renewable development

9. Resolving permit issues through DBEDT staff facilitation

Deploy renewable generation and grid infrastructure:

OAHU:

10. Kahuku Wind ground breaking and construction completed

11. Installed 8 MW of distributed PV on Oahu

12. Construction has begun on 5 MW Keahole Solar micro-scale concentrating solar power project at Kalaeloa

MAUI:

13. Lanai Photovoltaics (PV) Project installed (1.2 megawatts (MW))

14. Installed 4.3 MW of distributed potovoltaics (PV) on Maui

15. First Wind’s Kaweawa 30 MW wind farm is in operation, and 21 MW Kaheawa II expansion is under construction

KAUAI:

16. KIUC installed a building integrated photovoltaic system at its power station and is installing distributed utility 

pole mount photovoltaic systems.

17. By year end 2010 Kauai will inject 1MW of photovoltaic generation on to a 2MW distribution circuits in an effort 

to understand the physical limitations of distributed PV.

18 KIUC will be installing a battery energy storage system in 2011 to support a 3MW photovoltaic farm and the 

 system wide effects of distributed renewable generation.

19. KIUC continues its efforts in bringing online multiple new biomass facilities in 2013 that would provide 40% of 

the islands generation needs

Appendix A:

Enabling Actions/Projects Completed to Date

www.hawaiicleanenergyinitiative.org 27
BIG ISLAND:

20. Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii Authority-Sopogy Concentrated Solar Project Installed (500 kW)

21. Continued development tools to conduct weather/renewable input forecasting to balance grid

Explore next generation technologies/new applications of existing technologies:

22. Renewable Grid Integration Study: Oahu Wind Integration (Complete)

23. National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)/Sandia Solar Resource Studies – ongoing

24. Electranix Inter-island cable study completed

25. Inter-island cable programmatic Environmental Impact Study (EIS) launched (contract awarded,

Sept. 2010)

26. Renewable Grid Integration Modeling Study: Maui (complete)

27. Castle & Cooke Wind Potential Study: Lanai and Molokai completed

28. 400 MW Lanai/Molokai “Big Wind” Project and Inter-island Cable Technical Review Committee process (NREL/

HECO) completed (business case pending), August, 2010

29. KIUC/Sandia/Enernex Solar Grid Integration Study draft under review

30. Renewable Grid Integration Study: The Big Island (complete)

31. DOE awards $5M for Hawaii National Marine Renewable Energy Center on Maui

32. DOE awards $7M for Maui Smart Grid upgrade project

33. DOE Awards $5.5M for KIUC Smart Grid project

34. KIUC has secured loans for the development of hydro electric and clean energy technologies

35. PUC approved Hawaiian Electric smart grid project using $5.3 million federal stimulus grant

END USE EFFICIENCY:

Align efficiency regulatory and policy framework with clean energy goals:

1. ACT 155 (09), HB 1464, signed June 25, 2009, EEPS mandated at 4,300 GWh reduction by 2030

2. Establishment of a Public Benefits Fund with an independent administrator to facilitate energy efficiency programs 

 (Oahu, Maui, The Big Island)

3. PUC-approved docket re: decoupling for the HECO Companies 

4. Mandatory solar hot water heating for new homes (Act 204, Jan. 1, 2009) 

5. PUC adopted increase in the PBFA fund from 1% to 1.5%, set for implementation in 2011

Retrofit residential and commercial existing buildings:

6. ARRA: Energy Efficiency Community Block Grant for Energy Efficient Buildings Program for government, 

residential, and non-profit buildings

7. ARRA: Efficient Appliance Rebate Program. 4,000 ENERGY STAR® refrigerators were sold on the first day of 

 the program, which ran from May 24 to June 23. At the conclusion of the program, 8,300 replacement ENERGY 

 STAR® refrigerators were purchased and installed

8. ARRA: State Energy Program Award for residential solar water heating rebate and low interest loan programs. 

 Energy Star hospitality industry program, government efficiency rebates, and technical assistance and training 

 programs for high energy efficiency and sustainable buildings

9. State Building Efficiency: Lead-by-Example Program recognized by the American Council for an Energy Efficient 

 Economy as “Five Top Energy Efficiency Award Winning Programs”

10. Department of Land and Natural Resources State Park Greening Initiative Launched 

11. State recognized by the Energy Services Coalition as the second in the nation with Energy Savings Performance 

 Contracts (ESPCs); completed nearly 1 MW in power purchase agreements, negotiating another 3 MW; reduce 

 energy consumption from 2009 to 2010 by 2.8% or 18 million kWh

12. Department of Accounting and General Services Rooftop PV ESPC Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed

13. KIUC Existing Building Retrofit program expanded

Strengthen new construction policies/building codes:

14. High efficiency pilots constructed on military bases (Actus, Forest City)

28 www.hawaiicleanenergyinitiative.org

Appendix A: Enabling Actions/Projects Completed to Date
15. 4,300 GWh EEPS Viability Study Completed (Booz Allen Hamilton/NREL)

16. DoD FEMP Studies: PTA NZEI study, analysis of Schofield Barracks, Information Support Facility (data center) 

and design support for the future USARPAC C2F building

17. Updating of Building Codes for all counties to the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) 2006 level

18. The Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL) is constructing the nation’s first LEED (Leadership in 

Energy and Environmental Design) Platinum subdivision 

Identify non-building related energy efficiency measures:

19. Potential efficiencies from improving transmission/distribution infrastructure evaluated

20.Industrial and military electricity applications identified for future efficiency potential study

TRANSPORTATION:

Improve standard vehicle efficiency of fleet:

1. Sales of Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEV) reduced approximately 2% of annual vehicles sales for a total of 6,500 

HEVs 

2. National CAFE Standard Levels raised to 35.5 MPG for light duty cars and trucks (avg.) 

3. Oahu transit system took delivery of 20 new HEV buses, bringing the total to 80 HEV transit buses 

Reduce vehicle miles traveled (VMT):

4. Oahu transit system is one of the most highly ridden per capita in nation

Expand the use of renewable fuels in transportation sector:

5. 10% of the gasoline fueled transportation fleet fuel (~50 MGY) displaced through use of ethanol in blending 

standards

6. General Motors, Gas Company And other partners launched the Hawaii Hydrogen Initiative to develop 

 H2 production, distribution and fueling and bring hydrogen fuel cell Equinox vehicles to Oahu

7. Renewable hydrogen production, refueling, and hydrogen fleet demonstration at Joint Base Pearl HarborHickam established

8. The City and County of Honolulu fleet continued use of local produced biodiesel (B20)

Accelerate the deployment of electric vehicles (EVs) and related infrastructure:

9. Act 156 (2009) requires Hawaii government fleets purchase electric, alternative fuel, or highly energy efficient 

vehicles and that EV parking equipped with charging equipment be designated in all lots with over 100 public 

parking spaces by December 31, 2011

10. Act 186 (2010) – Expanded existing law where homeowners associations cannot deny solar and energy efficient 

devices to include EV chargers.

11. Hawaii EV Ready Program will provide grants and rebates through ARRA funding for the installation of EV 

chargers and the purchase of new, commercially-available full-speed electric and plug in HEVs by Hawaii

12. EV Pilot Rates approved by the PUC and went into effect on October 1, 2010 (HECO/MECO/HELCO) 

businesses, residents, non-profit organizations, and State and County government agencies

13. PICTHR Hawaii Renewable Energy Development Venture issued a $2.4M solicitation; awards include 3 

transportation projects – more to come in 2nd round solicitation

14. The State is promoting vehicle industry participation through numerous partnerships with automotive 

manufactures, and EV equipment and infrastructure supplies

www.hawaiicleanenergyinitiative.org 29

Appendix A: Enabling Actions/Projects Completed to Date
FUELS:

Evaluate local agricultural industry potential and support its development as needed:

1. Black & Veatch resource potential study 

2. Hawaii Bioenergy Master Plan

3. Phase I of DARPA algae study complete (Phase II pending)

4. HNEI algae land potential study 

5. Feedstock growth/evaluation pilot studies underway

Invest in key logistical/generation infrastructure:

6. HECO CIP CT-1 biofuel generators installed

Evaluate and develop renewable fuel processing infrastructure:

7. KIUC to supply carbon dioxide to the DARPA algae to jet fuel project

8. Several pilot scale drop-in replacement fuel refinery projects underway in State (e.g. Phycal, and UOP/Tesoro 

projects

9. Pacific Biodiesel expansion project underway

Match potential fuels supply to key sources of demand in-state:

10. HECO RFP for 210 MGY of locally produced biofuels issued

11. DoD RFI for 25% of current jet and marine fuel demand issued

12. HCEI Transportation Analysis completed identifying potential renewable ground transportation demand

30 www.hawaiicleanenergyinitiative.org

Appendix A: Enabling Actions/Projects Completed to Date
ELECTRICITY:

Align electricity regulatory and policy framework with clean Energy Goals:

1. Conclude all open PUC dockets outlined in Appendix A

2. Gather all relevant data on biomass generation costs and operations for evaluation and possible inclusion in 

Feed-in-Tariff by PUC at 2-year docket review. Hawaii-specific data are needed for all technologies which will 

be considered for FIT

Increase certainty in the process for developing new renewables:

3. Reduce ambiguity in permitting requirements and create online application process 

4. Reduce engineering and regulatory barriers for new renewables on to the grid

5. Work with counties to coordinate efforts on streamlining permitting process

Deploy renewable generation and grid infrastructure: 

OAHU:

6. 400 MW “Big Wind” project – includes wind farm, inter-island cable and Oahu grid integration components 

a. Complete Big Wind and inter-island cable environmental impact statement and cable developer selection, 

complete permitting and get RFP for project development issued 

7. Additional biofuel generation installed, and contracts secured as required to fulfill HECO’s firm capacity 

requirements.

8. 100 MW unidentified “non-firm” request for proposal (RFP) (70 MW wind project currently under 

consideration)

9. Finish installation of Kahuku Wind (30 MW)11 

10. 20 MW Castle and Cooke PV project

KAUAI:

11. Multiple biomass facilities for electricity and biofuels production 

12. Development of 15 MW of new hydroelectric generation 

13. 10-15 MW solar thermal facility 

14. Kauai County landfill gas generation system (1.5-3 MW)

15. ~350 KW of solar under consideration for Kauai County Facilities

HAWAII:

16. Puna Geothermal Venture expansion as much as practicable to the needs of the utility for base load and firm 

power, per the recommendations of the Geothermal Working Group

17. Identify options to bring in funding for smart grid demo on Big Island

18. 25 MW biomass (e.g., Hu Honua)

19. Biofuel generation installed, and contracts for indigenous fuel secured as required to fulfill HELCO’s firm 

capacity requirements after all other renewable options have been explored

MAUI:

20. Sempra Wind (21 MW)

21. KWP II (21 MW)

22. Additional biofuel generation installed, and contracts secured as required to fulfill MECO’s firm capacity 

requirements after other renewable options have been explored

Appendix B:

Critical Actions to Support HCEI Strategies: Years 1-5

www.hawaiicleanenergyinitiative.org 31

11

Received DOE Loan Guarantee (08/10)
Cross-Cutting:

23. Smart grid – implement smart grid components and capabilities based on lessons learned from pilots and other 

utilities as due diligence dictates.

a. Evaluate short-term and long term storage/load smoothing needs

24. Continue to improve solar/wind minute-to-minute output forecasting capabilities

25. Creation of a workforce development plan and tool to track green jobs created from HCEI

a. Plan should include impacts on renewable energy support industries such as the construction and fuel 

transport industries

26. Implement distributed generation installation (40 MW Roof Top PV Host Program as part of Energy 

Agreement, up to 80 MW under the current feed-in-tariff system)

27. Finalize DBEDT/Department of Health efforts to create an on-line system to shorten and simplify the 

permitting process for renewable energy projects

Explore next generation technologies:

28. Complete PV grid integration studies for HECO, MECO, and HELCO

29. Evaluate biofuels test runs currently being done by HECO in its Oahu units (HECO)

30. Finalize geothermal potential exploration on Maui

31. Research Lockheed Martin 10MW Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) pilot

32. Evaluate pumped hydro and battery storage options for each island (5-20 MW Size) (Army Corps of Engineers, 

State, HNEI, etc.) Evaluate other non-battery energy storage and frequency regulation options such as 

flywheels and demand response

33. Identify key solar (or other renewable energy) lands for protection/zoning 

34. Evaluate concentrated solar power options across all islands (projects currently under evaluation, ~100 MW 

combined)

35. Research and implement generation efficiency measures (such as heat capture) to reduce energy loss for 

petroleum and biofuel generation

END USE EFFICIENCY:

Align efficiency regulatory and policy framework with clean energy goals:

1. Evaluate rate design options for efficiency and demand response

2. Gain PUC approval to install and pilot smart meters

3. Ratify the increase in the PBFA Fund outlined in the HECO Energy Agreement with the State of Hawaii (increase 

to 1.5% after 2 years, 2% by 4 years), and evaluate other options for enhancing energy efficiency program 

funding (e.g. tax credits)

Retrofitting Existing Buildings (Both Residential and Commercial):

4. Implement or expand key policies and business models to leverage private capital (e.g., property assessed clean 

energy financing, energy savings performance contracts)

5. Improve the ability to benchmark building stock energy usage for both private and government and 

 private buildings

6. Expand retrofit market outreach/education programs 

7. End use behavioral modification pilot complete and program evaluated (e.g., O-Power) 

8. Provide PBFA more flexibility to expand programs that do not have currently measurable savings metrics

a. Improve policies for measurement of efficiency savings across a wider range of programs (e.g., efficiency 

education and outreach)

9. Increase State Lead By Example program efficiency targets to 40% improvement over baseline. Goal is 

to maintain State leadership as more advanced efficiency levels become more commonplace. 

32 www.hawaiicleanenergyinitiative.org

Appendix B: Critical Actions to Support HCEI Strategies: Years 1-5
10. Re-evaluate level of PBF contribution to ensure that it is sufficient to meet EEPS goals

11. Promote highly efficient AC units 

12. Eliminate master metering in high rises and other multi-family dwellings, in concert with expansion of AMI 

infrastructure 

13. Collect additional data on energy efficiency in existing buildings, including granular data as well as data on 

different types of buildings

14. Initiate a large scale residential retrofit program for net zero energy capable residential buildings

Strengthen new construction policies/building codes:

15. Update building code levels to 2015 efficiency standards (Should incorporate international green construction 

code into standard codes)

16. Educate stakeholders (architects and engineers, contractors and builders, realtors, banks and appraisers) 

on need to continue improving and enforcing codes, with a particular focus on the business case for improving 

efficiency in new construction

17. Conduct building code compliance reviews and assessments and increase training for design professionals as 

needed

18. Leverage building industry pilots to determine cost effective mix of efficiency measures for implementation. 

Next step from pilots is to enhance plans for Net-Zero energy buildings and complete the Department of 

Hawaiian Homelands net-zero Energy Community

19. Improve enforcement of building codes, by working with the Department of Planning and Permitting to help 

train and educate plan checkers and inspectors on need to incorporate energy efficient technologies into code 

(buildings currently estimated to be built to approx. 90% of code12 )

20. Develop public announcement system on recently passed improvements to code 

21. Promote highly efficient AC units 

Identify non-building related energy efficiency measures:

22. Honolulu sea-water air conditioning project

23. Evaluate opportunities for transmission/distribution system efficiencies

TRANSPORTATION:

Improve standard vehicle efficiency of fleet:

1. Promote purchase of vehicles more efficient than current State efficiency avg. (20 MPG cars, 14 MPG trucks) 

2. Promote current hybrid technologies to assist in the attainment of improved fleet MPG goals

3. Evaluate the potential of biodiesel fuel switching for trucks and other vehicles that may not have clear 

electric alternatives

4. Conduct research to better understand correlations between vehicle efficiency and reduced VMT

5. Determine best manner in which to leverage large fleets as a catalyst for Vehicle Efficiency or EV adoption

Reduce vehicle miles traveled (VMT):

6. Identify VMT reduction options, and reach out to key stakeholders in each area 

7. Work with local groups regarding mixed use zoning options and localization of work areas with residential areas

8. Promote telecommute options for local businesses to reduce the number of miles driven per person per year

9. Evaluate 4 day work week options

10. Identify ways of quantifying commute cost to drivers (e.g., highlight pass through of parking costs to employees)

 11. Promote expansion of current car and van pooling options 

 12. Study current public transit service with respect to demand (e.g. evaluate Light Rail and other public 

transit alternatives)

12Based on Energy Code Compliance Survey, Honolulu and Hawaii Counties, Jan. 15, 1999. This study cited a lost energy savings equivalent of 

13% of code levels. This figure is projected forward to 2010 and includes some modest progress from this compliance level, per DBEDT estimates

www.hawaiicleanenergyinitiative.org 33

Appendix B: Critical Actions to Support HCEI Strategies: Years 1-5
Expand the use of renewable fuels in the transportation sector:

13. Evaluate/study alternative fuel vehicle options for the State, along with supporting infrastructure

(e.g., hydrogen, flex fuel)

14. Complete the development of EV charging network and electric vehicles covered under the Hawaii EV 

Ready program

Accelerate the deployment of electric vehicles (EVs) and related infrastructure:

15. Provide incentives for early adopters for both vehicles, infrastructure, and charging equipment 

16. Work with automotive industry to continue to increase EV market penetration in quantity and vehicle type

17. Monitor and refine incentive structures for different types of EVs 

18. Identify EV deployment lessons learned outside of Hawaii (via DOE pilots or other) that may apply in-State

19. Evaluate options for improving rate design for vehicle charging

20.Identify creative ways to promote sales of EVs, as well as to increase vehicle turnover in general

(e.g., incentives for auto-dealers as well as consumers)

21. Negotiate for the acquisition of appropriate quantities of EVs for sale in-State

22. Work with Electricity group to determine best way to route renewable electricity to vehicle charging

(e.g., Combine distributed PV with EVs, charge vehicles at night to capture otherwise curtailed wind)

23. Refine Act 290 (1997) – language to allow the use of HOV lanes by electric vehicles

Crosscutting:

24. Understand relative impacts of accelerating vehicle turnover from a lifecycle cost perspective

FUELS:

Evaluate local agricultural industry potential and support its development as needed:

1. Work with government agencies to resolve land, water and labor issues re: use of agricultural lands 

2. Evaluate optimal business models, matching feedstock production to refining infrastructure needs

where possible

3. Integrate and update recent studies to map agricultural crops to specific lands, factoring in necessary 

production scale where applicable 

4. Evaluate non-potable water sources and potential synergies with wastewater management

5. Evaluate re-developing the previous sugar plantation “co-op” model where crops from many sites are 

aggregated for pre-processing into bio-crude at jointly owned facilities

6. Complete current feedstock pilots to determine highest yielding local crops. Particular interest in crops that 

may yield pyrolysis oil, since a successful pilot by UOP/Tesoro would provide local demand for pyrolysis oil for 

refining in approximate scale of 150 MGY a year, but without clear information on which refining technologies 

will prove viable, all feedstocks should be considered 

7. Create clearing-house for results of all feedstock trials receiving State or federal funds to share results of trials 

with public

8. Leverage HNEI Algae Lands study to determine if particular sites with algae potential should be protected 

9. Expand feedstock demos, with a particular emphasis on high yielding crops and overall land availability for 

production of each type of crop 

a. Crops should span a range of options, from jatropha, fast-growing grasses, algae and eucalyptus to sweet 

sorghum and energy cane

b. Each crop and pilot site should be chosen strategically. While grasses and sorghum may require flat lands in 

order to harvest them, woody shrubs and tree crops may be grown on hill sides and still harvested effectively

34 www.hawaiicleanenergyinitiative.org

Appendix B: Critical Actions to Support HCEI Strategies: Years 1-5
Understand and invest in key logistical infrastructure to develop economies of scale:

10. Work with counties to streamline permitting process from start (crop growth) to finish (fuel refining and 

generation emissions standards) 

11. Continue to improve and expand upon biofuel sustainability standards and certifications (through work by the 

Hawaii Biofuels Foundation, the Roundtable on Sustainable Biofuels, the HECO-NRDC biofuels policy, RFS2 

and GIFTPAC on GHG requirements)

12. Develop an analysis of the biofuels supply chain to determine what the best option for the State is, with 

particular attention paid to how to best adapt existing petroleum infrastructure to biofuel uses:

a. Crop production

b. Crop transportation

c. Crop pre-processing (where necessary)

d. Crude biofuel refining 

e. Fuel storage needs, post-refining

13. Need to establish work-force training programs to re-build agricultural knowledge base as well as expanding 

pre-processing and refining construction sectors

14. Identify lessons learned outside of Hawaii (via DOE Pilots or other) that may apply locally

(e.g., ClearFuels Project, CO)

Evaluate and develop renewable fuel processing infrastructure:

15. Complete UOP/Tesoro integrated biorefinery pilot target completion date: 2014

16. Provide regulatory clarity on biofuel refining and use as generation fuel (specifics include State PPA policy,

fuel pricing requirements, and air permitting for generation)

17. Provide support where possible for certification of refined products blended during the hydrotreating process 

(critical to the use of existing petroleum refineries in supplying domestic biorefining demand)

18. Engage Chevron to determine their interest in leveraging their infrastructure for bio-refining purposes

19. Evaluate smaller-scale vs. larger scale bio-refining processes in terms of most cost-effective use of local 

agricultural outputs

20. Monitor the development of advanced biofuels technologies, including the National Advanced Biofuels 

Consortium

21. Complete ClearFuels commercial demonstration integrated biorefinery and build a production facility in 

Hawaii

Match potential fuels supply to key sources of demand in-state:

22. The State of Hawaii, The Gas Company, General Motors, and others are exploring the potential of hydrogen as a 

fuel source for ground transportation. If this moves forward as planned, there will be a need for a large captive 

source of hydrogen in Hawaii, which could prove to be an extra source of revenue for refineries in the State

23. Track subsequent changes in market demand for fuels across all fuel types

24. Develop long-term contracts for the use of biofuels by utilities and the military 

25. Monitor the development of advanced biofuels technologies, including the National Advanced Biofuels 

Consortium

www.hawaiicleanenergyinitiative.org 35

APPENDIX B: CRITICAL ACTIONS TO SUPPORT HCEI STRATEGIES: YEARS 1-5
HCEI-SPECIFIC ANALYSIS:

Cross-Cutting:

1. Booz Allen Hamilton Wedge Analysis, prepared for HCEI May, 2008 (subsequent updates Sept. 2008,

Jan. 2009) 

2. Hawai‘i Clean Energy Initiative Working Group Policy Recommendations for the 2010 Hawai‘i State Legislative 

Session, November, 2009, hawaiicleanenergyinitiative.org/reports.html, last accessed 10/1/10

Electricity:

1. HCEI Framework Agreement: “Energy Agreement Among the State of Hawaii, Division of Consumer Advocacy 

of the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs and the Hawaiian Electric Companies”, Oct. 28, 2010. 

heco.com/vcmcontent/StaticFiles/pdf/HCEI.pdf, last accessed 10/1/10 

2. OWITS Grid Modeling Study (Wind Integration)

3. Overviews of the Big Island Energy Roadmap Study and Maui Smart Grid Demonstration Project, Jay Griffin, 

Hawaii Natural Energy Institute, University of Hawaii at Manoa, April 23, 2009

Energy Efficiency:

1. Hawaii 30% Energy Efficiency and Building Code Analysis, Kiatreungwattana, National Renewable Energy 

Laboratory, hawaii.gov/dbedt/info/energy/efficiency/EUEWG/Kosol%20HCEI%20-%20NC%20AnalysisFinal2.pdf, last accessed 10/1/10

2. “Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative: Existing Building Energy Efficiency Analysis,” Finch, P., Potes, A. Published 

by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, June, 2010. nrel.gov/docs/fy10osti/48318.pdf , last accessed 

10/1/10

Transportation:

1. Booz Allen Hamilton, HCEI Transportation Options Analysis, Sept, 2010 

Biofuels:

1. Hawai’i DBEDT, Task 1 Assessment of Existing Biomass Feedstocks, Feb. 2008. Black & Veatch 

2. Hawai’i Bioenergy Master Plan, prepared for DBEDT by the Hawaii Natural Energy Institute, School of Ocean 

Earth Sciences and Technology, Sept. 2009

COUNTY ENERGY PLANS:

City and County of Honolulu: honolulu.gov/refs/ahupuaa/sustainability_plan.html, last accessed, 11/23/10 

County of Maui: co.maui.hi.us/documents/Office%20of%20the%20Mayor/Office%20of%20Economic%20

Development/Maui%20County%20Energy%20Alliance/MCEA%20Report%20Draft%206_9_09.PDF, last accessed 

11/23/10

County of Hawaii: co.hawaii.hi.us/bc/eac/Final%20Report%20to%20Mayor%20-%20Exec%20Summary.pdf,

last accessed, 11/23/10 

County of Kauai: kauainetwork.org/energy-sustainability/, last accessed 11/23/10

Appendix C:

HCEI Supporting Analysis and Planning Documents

36 www.hawaiicleanenergyinitiative.org
HCEI ELECTRICITY WORKING GROUP:

Co-chairs:

Andrea Gill, DBEDT

Jennifer DeCesaro, USDOE

Abbas Akhil, Sandia National Laboratories

Alison Silverstein, Consultant

Brad Rockwell, Kauai Island Utility Cooperative

Dan Giovanni, Hawaiian Electric Company

Dave Mooney, National Renewable Energy Lab

James Griffin, Hawaii National Energy Institute

Jeanne Skog, Maui Economic Development Board, Inc.

Juan Torres, Sandia National Laboratory

Kelly O’Brien, First Wind

Appendix D:

HCEI Working Group DECEMBER 15, 2010

Kendall Kam, NAVFAC

Marc Matsuura, Hawaiian Electric Company

Michael Champley, Kahakuloa Energy Advisors, LLC

Mike Kaleikini, PGV

Mike Yamane, Kauai Island Utility Cooperative

Mitch Dmohowski, 

 Planning & Analysis, Sempra Generation

Riley Saito, SunPower

Ted Johnson, Lockheed Martin MS2

HCEI END USE EFFICIENCY WORKING GROUP:

Co-chairs:

Carilyn Shon, DBEDT

Kosol Kiatreungwattana, National Renewable Energy Lab

Alan Hee, Hawaiian Electric Company

Allyn Lee, City & County of Honolulu

Gail Gillman, The Gas Company

Glenn Sato, County of Kauai

Henry Lacar, Hawaii Hotels Engineering Association

Howard Killian, Logistics Management Institute

Jae Kwak, Bank of Hawaii

Karen Nakamura, Building Industry Association

Kirsten Turner, Sustainability Partners, Inc.

Mark Duda, Hawaii Solar Association

Ray Starling, SAIC – Hawaii Energy Group LLC

Steve Meder, University of Hawaii at Manoa

Steve Rymsha, Kauai Island Utility Cooperative

Victor Reyes, County of Maui

Will Boudra, Forest City, Hawaii

www.hawaiicleanenergyinitiative.org 37
HCEI TRANSPORTATION GROUP: 

Co-chairs:

Ken Kelly, National Renewable Energy Lab

Margaret Larson, DBEDT

Aaron Medina, Hertz

Brian Gibson, Oahu Metropolitan Planning 

Organization

Brian Saito, Hawaii State DAGS

Brian Goldstein, Better Place

Bor Yann Liaw, Hawaii Natural Energy Institute

Bryon Bliss, Phoenix Motorcars

Carlos Perez, Hawaiian Electric Company

Christina Noh, Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers

Dave Rolf, Hawaii Automobile Dealers’ Association

Gary Slovin, Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers

Keith Yoshida, MidPac Petroleum

Larry Adams, Aloha Petroleum

Llewellyn Honda, Hawaii State DOT

Makena Coffman, University of Hawaii at Manoa

Michael Oh, Alamo, Enterprise & National – We Car

Paul Kopel, Alamo, Enterprise & National – We Car

Pratt Kinimaka, Hawaii State DOT

Robert Primiano, City & County of Honolulu

Ron Cox, Hawaiian Electric Company

Steven Rymsha, Kauai Island Utility Cooperative

Tom Quinn, DBEDT

Yibo HSU, Hawaii State DOT

HCEI FUELS GROUP: 

Co-chairs:

Christy Sterner, U.S. Department of Energy

Maria Tome, DBEDT

Meredith Kuba, DBEDT

David Leonard, Aluvion Energies

Duane Okamoto, Department of Agriculture

Edward Reinhardt, Maui Electric Company

Eileen O’Hara, Pacific Biodiesel, Inc.

Joseph Boivin, The Gas Company

Lee Jakeway, 

 Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar Company

Paul Zorner, Hawaii BioEnergy

Rick Weyen, Tesoro Companies, Inc.

Robert Shleser, ClearFuels Technology Inc.

Ron Nelson, Defense Energy Support Center Pacific

Scott Haase National Renewable Energy Laboratory

Scott Turn, Hawaii Natural Energy Institute

Stephanie Whalen, 

 Hawaii Agriculture Research Center

Tim O’Connell, 

 United States Department of Agriculture

Appendix D: HCEI Working Group December 15, 2010

38 www.hawaiicleanenergyinitiative.org
HCEI Road Map 

2011 Edition

Date (period of performance): September – November 2010

Authors:

Ralph Braccio and Patrick Finch

Booz Allen Hamilton, Inc.

McLean, Virginia

NREL Technical Monitor: Ken Kelly

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