Four Agencies Team Up to Assess Hawaii's Dependence on Oil, Akaka Announces

Four Agencies Team Up to Assess Hawaii's Dependence on Oil, Akaka Announces

A joint-effort initiated by Senator Daniel K. Akaka is underway to assess Hawaii's dependence on oil and the technical and economic feasibility of oil alternatives. Four federal and state agencies are working together to accomplish this necessary assessment including: United States Department of Energy, Hawaii Natural Energy Institute, State of Hawaii Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism, and Hawaii Energy Policy Forum.

Senator Akaka is responsible for including authorization for this analysis in the Energy Policy Act of 2005.

"While recent events have shown the entire country is at risk due to our dependence on oil, dependence in Hawaii is even more pronounced. We must assess this dependence and evaluate oil alternatives such as renewable energy such as solar, wind and biofuels, liquefied natural gas and advanced energy storage options including hydrogen," stated Senator Akaka.

"I am pleased with the spirit of collaboration between federal and state agencies for taking on this task and their willingness to integrate previous individual work. I look forward to seeing the findings of this assessment which I am confident will have implications for Hawaii as well as the nation. The findings will have an important role in shaping my efforts in defining an energy agenda beneficial to Hawaii."

The principals agreeing to take on this task have committed to making use of prior work and to finalize their analysis by the end of March 2007. The agencies caution that, given the time and funding available, the final report will have three types of outcomes depending upon the available information. The first will be one in which the analysis will lead to conclusions and recommendations for which no further intensive analysis is required. The second will be a set of conclusions and recommendations, coupled with additional recommendations for additional technical evaluation and gap analysis. The third outcome will be in areas where sufficiently reliable information is lacking. Recommendations in this latter will focus on activities that federal and state policy makers can act upon in the future.

Recently, Senator Akaka announced that a Senate Committee approved a $1 million ethanol demonstration project in Hawaii. He secured the funds in the Department of the Interior Appropriations Bill, under the Environmental Protection Agency. The bill is pending full Senate action and Senate-House conference proceedings. As an Energy Committee conferee, Senator Akaka enlarged the scope of the ethanol provision and secured its inclusion in the final version of the bill.

Senator Akaka is a senior member of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee and Ranking Member on the Subcommittee on National Parks.

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