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Hawaii lawmakers should look beyond construction and tourism for job creation, consider on-site solar and battery storage as a way to safely rebuild Maui’s power grid and press Congress to provide pandemic loan forgiveness to businesses affected by fires, concerned citizens on Tuesday told a legislative working group established to restart business activities on Maui following August’s devastating wildfires.

The testimony came as the Hawaii House of Representatives Jobs and Business Working Group presented a  outlining findings and recommendations on how the Legislature should respond to the wildfires during the upcoming legislative session.

The working group’s draft recommendations focused on several items related to economic development and assistance for people and businesses suffering because of the wildfires, which destroyed most of Lahaina and killed at least 100 people. 

Recommendations included providing support to the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, ramping up training programs for construction and clean-up workers, and providing child care for working families. Other ideas include asking Hawaii’s congressional delegation for additional help with SBA loan programs for damaged businesses and asking banks to extend mortgage holidays beyond 90 days to let business owners off the hook for mortgage payments on businesses that no longer exist.

Among those testifying Tuesday was Sherry Menor-McNamara, president and chief executive of the Chamber of Commerce Hawaii, which represents more than 2,000 businesses statewide. Menor-McNamara said the working groups findings were similar to what the chamber has found in talks with its members. But the chamber offered additional ideas.

For example, the need for construction and clean-up workers presents a major challenge and opportunity for Maui and the state. And the Legislature has recommended providing additional money for job training. That includes money for community colleges as well as organizations such as the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement, whose Hawaiian Trades Academy is offering certification classes in hazardous waste removal and related fields for Maui residents. 

In its testimony, the chamber called for the Legislature to support broad training initiatives, including those for things like commercial driver’s licenses.

“Construction jobs will be critical but will not fit the needs and skill sets of all. It would be helpful to also add training programs for CDL licenses, healthcare positions, bookkeepers/bankers, digital media creators, cybersecurity roles and other in-demand roles,” the Menor-McNamara said in her written testimony. 

The chamber also suggested numerous recommendations to implement the working group’s recommendation to enhance the availability of childcare services. These included providing incentives to allow employees to bring children to work, funding mobile services and providing real property tax exemptions or waiving building and permitting fees for new or expanding child care providers. 

The chamber also suggested pressing Congress to provide pandemic loan forgiveness to businesses impacted by the Maui fires.

Solar Industry: Increase Rooftop Solar And Battery Storage

Another idea left out of the working group’s report: to support a more resilient electric grid by promoting more so-called “distributed energy resources,” including rooftop solar and battery storage systems, that could keep the lights on if Maui Electric’s grid lost power.

Rocky Mould, executive director of the Hawaii Solar Energy Association, reminded lawmakers that Hawaii solar energy companies had helped establish essential services after the fire by setting up solar-powered Wi-Fi systems and refrigerated trucks. Moving forward, Mould testified, solar and battery storage can “can play a critical role in rebuilding the West Maui grid and the community of Lahaina. 

“Indeed, it can also play a role in reducing wildfire ignition risk posed by electrical power lines,” he added in written testimony. “Rooftop solar and energy storage allows residents and businesses to ‘ride through’ grid outages whatever the cause which enhances reliability and assurance.”

Co-chaired by Reps. Daniel Holt and Andrew Takuya Garrett, the jobs working group is one of six such panels convened to address issues related to the wildfires. The groups issued their draft reports on Nov. 1 and have until Dec. 15 to issue final reports and draft legislation.

As the chief executive of the state’s largest business group who had helped guide the business community’s response to shutdowns related to the Covid-19 pandemic, Menor-McNamara was repeatedly called to answer questions from the committee. Her overarching point was that the challenges facing Lahaina businesses are far more difficult.

“They have to deal with a lot more, and still pay rent when there is no structure,” she said.

Civil Beat’s coverage of Maui County is supported in part by grants from the Nuestro Futuro Foundation.