Energy Expo illuminates isle ideas

The Maui News
Thursday, November 15, 2007
By EDWIN TANJI, City Editor

WAILUKU - Some of it was to talk about what's happening today in alternative energy, but the focus is on what can happen tomorrow, Mayor Charmaine Tavares said of her three-day Maui County Energy Expo 2007.

"Listening to everything that was presented and discussed . . . it was great. But it was just a jumping-off point," Tavares said Tuesday. "From this point forward, we are going to have debriefings with some of the participants and organizers, and we will look at what are the next steps we need to take."

The program held last week at the Grand Wailea Resort Hotel & Spa did raise one key issue that the county will need to address as quickly as possible, she said.

"One of the things that we can do now is Maui County bringing its codes up to date both in land use and in the building codes to allow renewable energy devices to be incorporated in the construction of buildings and in new developments," she said.

That issue was emphasized in a panel discussion on renewable energy technology available in the community, with an owner seeking to install an inverter to allow a connection to the electric grid finding that there's no county standards for such connections.

To overcome the obstacles, Tavares said the county engineers will need to work with the technicians and businesses that are installing renewable and alternative energy systems to rewrite county laws to accommodate the technology.

"We will need to discuss with the people who are actually doing the installations and have them come to the table and tell us what they are up against. We have to have the people with the practical experience working with our inspectors to write a code that meets the need for the technology," she said.

"Our electrical code, for instance, may not be up to snuff as far as accommodating renewable energy developments."

There are other areas where the county will need to update its rules and standards to support biofuel production, wind power and other forms of renewable energy, she said.

That will require other government agencies to consider changes in the rules as well. There will be a need to set up a focus group on what changes are needed in state and federal laws to provide incentives and to remove obstacles to technological developments that could be blocked or delayed by cumbersome permitting standards, she said.

"We might want to look at tax credits for certain types of renewable energy projects. There are high risks in trying out new things and the federal and state legislatures need to provide incentives and options to encourage entrepreneurs to pursue these kinds of developments," she said.

Tavares noted that innovative developments can be pursued with assistance of the Maui Economic Development Board and the Maui Research & Technology Park, which was designed to encourage research and development of new technologies. The Maui Economic Development Board was a co-sponsor of the Energy Expo and can provide other kinds of support for technical specialists to develop new energy options.

Another corporate sponsor, Maui Electric Co., will pursue the same goals under its mandate from the state to develop alternatives and avoid having to install more oil-fueled generators.

"I think it's going to take a multipronged approach to develop the opportunities," Tavares said.

With the expo concluded, she said energy specialist Victor Reyes with the county Office of Economic Development will be coordinating further discussions and planning to respond to the issues raised by the event.

There are other elements in the evaluation of community needs also presented, including a panel on education and career pathways. Led by Clyde Sakamoto, chancellor of Maui Community College, it offered details on steps already being taken to provide educational grounding in science and technology on Maui.

A series of presentations by high school students in various programs on Maui illustrated what's already possible, Tavares said.

A team of Seabury Hall students displayed their electric car, built on the chassis of a small sedan. Project EAST students from the Kihei Charter Public High School presented the various programs they are researching in renewable energy. Students from Hana High School displayed information on photovoltaic and wind energy projects they have installed at the school.

"Everybody commented that they really enjoyed having the students there and from what they showed, we have to feel we're in good hands for the future. We have some wonderful, knowledgeable and sharp kids who will be taking over," Tavares said.