Our Strategy & Approach

‘Ūkiu Energy understands the importance of community engagement and outreach. We listen first, and then we will act —with integrity, intention, and transparency.

It’s our commitment to the community to engage thoroughly, listen with intent, provide information transparently, mitigate concerns, and be a good, quiet neighbor.

We listen.

We will meet with stakeholders personally, one-on-one and in group settings, to understand what information they need from us, what concerns them, and what we can do to support them.

We pay attention.

We want to know the community’s character and priorities—from traffic to cost of living—and we will do everything we can to support them. We will look closely at the Project from the community’s perspective, and we will take the lead to mitigate any potential concerns early.

We share.

We will hold town hall meetings to update stakeholders on the project’s progress and answer questions that arise.

Project Benefits

The proposed project aligns with numerous critical goals and mandates in Hawaiʻi, including:

• The state’s energy goal of 100% renewable electricity by 2045
• The state’s carbon-neutral goal by 2045

Benefits to the wider island community also include:

• Stable cost of energy for the benefit of utility customers;
• Construction and other project-related prevailing wage jobs;
• Long-term local operations prevailing wage employment;
• Transportation jobs;
• Sourcing of supplies and materials from in-state providers; and
• Economic boost to local businesses.

This community outreach framework is designed to first create dialogue – informing us at least as much as informing the community. It is our intent to empower the community so that we can collaborate and innovate together. We recognize a community’s fabric depends on participatory planning, innovating, budgeting, and execution. We are here for the long-term.

In this spirit, ‘Ūkiu Energy will engage in a process to acquire feedback from stakeholders and find impactful ways to contribute resources, primarily through annual funding of at least $120,000 annually ($3,000/MW) to provide direct benefits to the community including, but not limited to entities such as:

• Community organizations;
• Charities;
• Social service community organizations; and
• Non-profits focused on environment, natural hazard mitigation, quality-of-life enhancement, STEM education, youth recreation, apprentice programs, and mentorships.

These funds will be administered through a local non-profit grant administrator throughout the 30-year term of the power purchase agreement.