Molokai lights the way to Hawaii’s clean energy future

The following is a news release from Blue Planet Foundation.

With a mission to end the use of carbon-based fuels on Earth, the Hawaii-based Blue Planet Foundation doesn’t shy away from audacious goals. So partnering with the Molokai community to try to replace every old fashioned incandescent light bulb on the island wasn’t that far-fetched of an idea. But the numbers of bulbs—and the savings—are staggering. Last week, community groups started exchanging what could total 90,000 light bulbs in almost 3,000 homes when the project is complete. Molokaii residents will save more than $10 million over the life of the new compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs).

Community organizers are excited about the potential of the program.

“Our volunteers are thrilled with the response we received on April 1, our first day of distribution,” said Kimberly Svetin, president of Molokai Drugs. “The response has been greater than we could have imagined! In the first four hours, our ice cream shop—one of the distribution points—gave out 333 CFLs to 20 Moloka’i families.”

Blue Planet is providing the compact fluorescent light bulbs at no cost to the community. The first shipment of 44,000 bulbs arrived in Kaunakakai last week. To ensure that the CFLs are actually put to work, community organizers are requiring that residents exchange an incandescent bulb to receive a CFL. (Photos of the delivery and exchange are available at the project website, greenmolokai.org.)

“We’re starting with light bulbs because it is the easiest, most effective way to reduce home energy use,” said Francois Rogers, Special Projects Director for the Blue Planet Foundation. “An act as simple as screwing in a light bulb can start to change the course of Molokai’s energy future.”

A 2008 state-commissioned study by the global consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton found that residential general purpose lighting was one of the best places to find oil savings in Hawaii.

The island of Molokai has historically paid the highest electricity rates in the nation, with the current average residential rate over $0.36 per kilowatt-hour. Molokai residents spend over $4.5 million annually to power their homes. It’s estimated that reducing energy demand with energy efficient lights (such as CFLs) could save Molokai homeowners over 10 percent on electricity bills.

“We’re really interested to see how this affects the island as a whole,” said Harmonee Williams of Sust-AINA-ble Molokai. “We’ve met with the Molokai Division of Maui Electric, and they are helping us to track the island-wide energy usage before and after the CFL implementation. We’re hoping to see somewhat of a ripple-effect, as people begin to think more about energy savings, and take further actions on their own.”

Blue Planet Foundation has been focusing on household energy efficiency as a way to decrease Hawaii’s reliance on oil and engage residents in Hawaii’s clean energy future. The organization has been running a CFL exchange through various community and school organizations statewide, with over 25,000 CFLs installed in the past year. The group also conducts community education efforts and produced a TV special, the “Hawaii Home Energy Makeover,” demonstrating how residents can cut their monthly electricity bills in half or more.

While the lighting project is focused on energy, organizers are keeping an eye on the overall environmental impact of the effort.

“As a member of Sust-AINA-ble Molokai, we’ve had lengthy conversations about the impact of this project on our waste stream,” added Williams. “It has become very apparent that we need to improve our island’s recycling habits and capabilities. We met with the guys at the landfill, and they’re more than willing to work with the community on this and other recycling programs. If we can create a “closed-loop” process, I think this project will be a true success, and we will gain some real momentum on our island-wide sustainability efforts.”

Blue Planet hopes to expand the Molokai CFL program to include other energy saving measures and devices on the island. The organization hopes to learn how such an inclusive community-based effort can catalyze large scale energy transformation, making Molokai a model for other islands.

“We are truly inspired by the dedication of teachers, students, businesses and the community in forming a movement to secure a sustainable future for years to come,” added Rogers.

To learn more about the Molokai program, please visit greenmolokai.org.