Sunday, November 10, 2024
Hawai'i Free Press

Current Articles | Archives

Sunday, September 3, 2023
Green Gives Another $50M Subsidy for Solar Industry
By News Release @ 2:12 AM :: 1959 Views :: Energy

HAWAI’I GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE AUTHORITY RECEIVES $50 MILLION IN 2023-2024 STATE BUDGET

News Release from DBEDT, Aug 31, 2023

HONOLULU – In a major step towards making Hawaiʻi more green, resilient, and affordable, the Hawaiʻi Green Infrastructure Authority (HGIA) has been appropriated $50 million for Solar PV+Battery financing in the 2023-2024 fiscal year. This funding will enhance HGIA’s capacity to make rooftop solar and energy storage accessible to ALICE (asset-limited, income-constrained employed) families statewide, helping them to reduce their energy bills and carbon emissions while enhancing grid-wide reliability.

“Both rooftop solar and energy storage are essential to Hawaiʻi’s goal of 100-percent renewable energy generation,” said HGIA director Gwen Yamamoto-Lau. “However, many families are unable to qualify for financing at affordable rates and terms, leaving their rooftops a vital but missing tool in the green energy transition.”

This additional funding coincides with a recent Order from the Public Utilities Commission approving HGIA’s request to remove all credit barriers and further expand access to its inclusive financing program. This now enables all low and moderate-income households, who were previously locked out of solar due to credit or disconnection notice history, to be eligible for below-market, long-term, fixed-rate financing. HGIA is now able to finance batteries with solar systems enabling low and moderate-income families (including renters) to capture solar energy for later use.

“These additional savings will be a game-changer in making Hawaiʻi’s families more economically resilient in the face of rising energy costs,” remarked Mark Glick, Chief Energy Officer of the State of Hawaiʻi. “The addition of storage also provides community-wide benefits to grid reliability by allowing for grid stabilization during high-demand times and power outages, a key tactic in adapting to increasingly severe weather exacerbated by climate change.”

This program will support HGIA efforts to reach additional households and expand its existing rooftop solar program. In addition to nonprofits and small businesses, HGIA’s financing programs have already helped more than 1,900 homeowners and renters reduce their energy costs by an average of $100 a month while avoiding more than 287,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide from being released. HGIA is committed to leveraging its funding by collaborating with state, federal, and private sources, and continues to participate in programs led by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Department of Energy, and Environmental Protection Agency to promote equity.

Yamamoto-Lau added this additional funding will provide dual environmental and financial benefits, “by helping underserved populations, including rural communities and underbanked households, we can reduce the energy burden for our most vulnerable ratepayers and move towards a greener Hawaiʻi.”

---30---

Background:

Links

TEXT "follow HawaiiFreePress" to 40404

Register to Vote

2aHawaii

Aloha Pregnancy Care Center

AntiPlanner

Antonio Gramsci Reading List

A Place for Women in Waipio

Ballotpedia Hawaii

Broken Trust

Build More Hawaiian Homes Working Group

Christian Homeschoolers of Hawaii

Cliff Slater's Second Opinion

DVids Hawaii

FIRE

Fix Oahu!

Frontline: The Fixers

Genetic Literacy Project

Grassroot Institute

Habele.org

Hawaii Aquarium Fish Report

Hawaii Aviation Preservation Society

Hawaii Catholic TV

Hawaii Christian Coalition

Hawaii Cigar Association

Hawaii ConCon Info

Hawaii Debt Clock

Hawaii Defense Foundation

Hawaii Family Forum

Hawaii Farmers and Ranchers United

Hawaii Farmer's Daughter

Hawaii Federation of Republican Women

Hawaii History Blog

Hawaii Jihadi Trial

Hawaii Legal News

Hawaii Legal Short-Term Rental Alliance

Hawaii Matters

Hawaii Military History

Hawaii's Partnership for Appropriate & Compassionate Care

Hawaii Public Charter School Network

Hawaii Rifle Association

Hawaii Shippers Council

Hawaii Together

HiFiCo

Hiram Fong Papers

Homeschool Legal Defense Hawaii

Honolulu Navy League

Honolulu Traffic

House Minority Blog

Imua TMT

Inouye-Kwock, NYT 1992

Inside the Nature Conservancy

Inverse Condemnation

July 4 in Hawaii

Land and Power in Hawaii

Lessons in Firearm Education

Lingle Years

Managed Care Matters -- Hawaii

MentalIllnessPolicy.org

Missile Defense Advocacy

MIS Veterans Hawaii

NAMI Hawaii

Natatorium.org

National Parents Org Hawaii

NFIB Hawaii News

NRA-ILA Hawaii

Obookiah

OHA Lies

Opt Out Today

Patients Rights Council Hawaii

Practical Policy Institute of Hawaii

Pritchett Cartoons

Pro-GMO Hawaii

RailRipoff.com

Rental by Owner Awareness Assn

Research Institute for Hawaii USA

Rick Hamada Show

RJ Rummel

School Choice in Hawaii

SenatorFong.com

Talking Tax

Tax Foundation of Hawaii

The Real Hanabusa

Time Out Honolulu

Trustee Akina KWO Columns

Waagey.org

West Maui Taxpayers Association

What Natalie Thinks

Whole Life Hawaii