Regulators Seek Public Input On Energy Projects In Hawaii
The first of two public meetings will be held Wednesday, in person and online.
The Hawaii Public Utilities Commission is seeking public input in an effort to create social and economic fairness in the state’s energy system.
As Hawaii transitions to generating electricity from renewable resources like solar and wind, projects routinely run into opposition from communities where the projects are located.
The commission’s “” is intended “not only to address energy equity generally, but to ensure that existing energy inequity is alleviated, and not exacerbated, during the State鈥檚 renewable energy transition,” the commission said.
“The first session is intended as a community conversation and is an opportunity for those less familiar with the Commission to learn more about the agency鈥檚 role and ways to get involved with the proceeding,” the commission said.
It said people attending the meeting don’t need previous experience with the commission.
“Commission staff will present on the role of the Commission, provide background on energy equity, and create space to hear from participants and learn more about what energy equity means to them.”
The first meeting will be held Wednesday. A second meeting, scheduled for March 8, “will dive deeper into the details of the energy equity proceeding,” the commission said.
“Energy equity refers to in both the social and economic participation in the energy system, while also remediating social, economic, and health burdens on those historically harmed by the energy system,” the commission said.
