Hawaiian Electric: Rebecca Dayhuff Matsushima
Director for Renewable Acquisition
“We will be doing procurements on a regular basis moving forward between now and 2045.”
Strategy & Planning
Hawaiian Electric: Scott Seu
SVP for public affairs
“If you’re going to operate a business here in Hawaii for 20 years or so, you will be expected by the community to become a part of it, to be able to engage on an ongoing basis.”
Hawaiian Electric: Colton Ching
SVP for planning and technology
“Our electric supply plans are aggressive. They’re forward leading within the industry and there does not exist technology today at this moment in time that will meet all of our needs over the next 20 or 30 years.”
Hawaiian Electric: Alan Oshima
CEO
“Ninety-five percent of Hawaii’s electricity comes from our company.”
Visiting Hawaiian Electric
Unique Renewable Goals
Perhaps the highest of the high points of visiting Hawaiian Electric and Hawaii's Public Utilities Commission was when Commission chair Jay Griffin announced during the pre-hearing conference we attended that "the Mitnicks" of Public Utilities Fortnightly were sitting in, as welcome guests of the Commission. (One Mitnick had flown in from Washington, D.C., the other from Tokyo.) Or perhaps when we watched the moving Hawaiian blessing of the West Loch Solar Project of Hawaiian Electric and the U.S. Navy.
Federal Stimulus
Time to Bring Out the Secret Sauce Again?
Smartening the grid over the last decade-plus has been a great achievement. And one that we owe in large part to the stimulating effect of the ARRA.
What Hawaii Tells Us
Status Quo to Status Whoa
In the event of a catastrophic typhoon, so much of Hawaii's critical infrastructure is situated at sea level. The status quo is therefore risky to stick with.
Picture Energy: Moody's Breakfast Briefing at EEI Financial Conference
November 11
Sessions featured Moody’s take on the cybersecurity risks utilities face, the California wildfires challenge for California utilities, and utility rates of return in an era of low and possibly negative interest rates.
Broader Innovation Insights
Engaging Market Collaborators
Third-party collaboration relationships should be designed to provide benefits to customers, such as tangible advantages that enhance business choices about energy resources or fit the needs for energy awareness at the premise.
Curing the Analytical Bias
Replacing Discount Rate Driven NPV with IRR Analysis
NPV analysis relies on the selected discount rate. The selected discount rate can affect the outcome of the analysis. Thus, the introduction of a new metric; the differential internal rate of return (DIRR), and its expected value are discussed.