While marking Energy Efficiency Day on Wednesday, Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi said promoting greater energy efficiency is key to helping residents and businesses save money, preserve the environment, and create jobs.
Blangiardi lauded the city’s partnerships with organizations such as Hawaii Energy, which gives rebates to residents and businesses to lower energy consumption through measures such as switching to LED lighting.
Blangiardi said the city is working to reduce energy use by upgrading city buildings and facilities. He said it's a pocketbook issue that affects all residents.
"So anything that we can do to add to the efficiency and put money in people's pockets is something that we're really interested in doing — not the least of which is I think on a going-forward basis is going to be a great source of really exciting jobs for our younger people coming forward, and careers to be had," he said.
"So this subject, this topic of energy is really near and dear to my heart. So while today may be Energy Efficiency Day, I think every day should be energy efficiency day because it's something that we all know from the time we wake up, we're dependent upon," Blangiardi said Wednesday.
One of the city’s major retrofitting projects involves changing ultraviolet disinfection equipment at the Sand Island Wastewater Treatment Plant.
Officials said the new equipment, which kills bacteria in sewage before it is pumped into the ocean, is far more powerful but uses less energy than the old system.
The city said it is following up with another phase of refurbishments for police and fire stations, as well as municipal parks, in order to make them more energy-efficient.
The state and city are tracking toward a zero-emissions clean energy target by the year 2045.
