Integration Working Group
The Integration working group is dedicated to finding ways to integrate existing, emerging, and state-of-the-art clean energy technologies, transportation, and electricity systems, as well as finding solutions for improving the reliability and economic viability of these technologies.
Goals
A major goal of this working group is to foster communication among the four primary working groups and assist them with public outreach efforts.
Short-Term Objectives
The Integration working group is working toward the following short-term objectives:
- Conduct a gap assessment.
- Assess the military impact on the Hawai‘i Clean Energy Initiative.
- Integrate counties' energy initiatives into the Hawai‘i Clean Energy Initiative.
- Direct outreach and communication efforts.
- Address policy issues.
- Compile baseline data.
- Conduct economic and environmental assessments of Hawai‘i Clean Energy Initiative.
Issues and Challenges
The Integration working group is working to address the following issues that are relevant to more than one of the four primary working groups:
- Biofuel tradeoffs
- How to integrate planning around the use of biofuels for electricity and transportation
- How to balance the goal of increasing the use of biofuels with the desire to produce the fuel in-state rather than importing it
- Whether to establish limits on imports
- Electric vehicles
- How to credit electric vehicles toward the Hawai‘i Clean Energy Initiative goals (they reduce fuel use but increase electricity use; the renewable portion of electricity is changing; electric vehicles are likely to be more efficient than current gasoline vehicles)
- Whether the End-Use Efficiency working group should be looking at incorporating electric vehicle charging into building codes
- Statewide building codes—how to make progress on statewide building codes in light of the building industry's rejection of the following Hawai‘i Clean Energy Initiative codes and standards recommendations:
- Funding of building code study
- Requirement of new building code by 2010
- Requirement of code updates within six months
- Revision of solar water heating mandate
- Requirement of energy bill information at sale
- Requirement of energy bill information at lease
- Requirement of home energy assessment at sale
- Promotion of energy-efficient mortgages
- Commercial building commissioning
- Establishment of appliance energy-efficiency standards using California standards as a guide
- Provision for developer tax credits in 2009.
Contacts
Estrella Seese, DBEDT—Integration working group co-chair
