David Y. Ige

Governor also meeting with federal officials on affordable housing, transportation, tourism

Honolulu — Gov. David Ige is in Washington, D.C. where he will join other elected officials and business leaders for the Washington Post’s “Powering Cities” forum on Tuesday, June 23.

The Washington Post invited Gov. Ige to speak about Hawai‘i’s commitment to clean energy and generating 100 percent of its electricity sales from renewable energy resources by 2045. Gov. Ige signed Act 097 into law, making Hawai‘i the first state in the nation to set a 100 percent renewable portfolio standard for the electricity sector.

Gov. Ige will join other elected officials, government innovators and business leaders at the one-day forum. Currently, the U.S. consumes the equivalent of 18 percent of the world’s total primary energy usage. Speakers will discuss and debate policies and programs across the country related to clean energy, battery and energy storage, the grid, energy efficiency, innovations in oil and gas and more.

Speakers include Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton; Thomas Fanning, chairman, president and chief executive, Southern Company; former Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour; Carol Browner, former administrator, Environmental Protection Agency; Austin Blackmon, chief of environment, energy and open space, City of Boston; Diarmuid O’Connell, vice president, business development, Tesla; Kate Burson, chief of staff to the chairman of energy and finance, New York State; and others. For a full list of speakers and The Washington Post’s latest energy coverage, visit wapo.st/energy.

Powering Cities is part of The Washington Post’s America Answers series highlighting innovative ideas from cities, states and businesses outside the Beltway. The event will be live-streamed at wapo.st/energy and through the governor’s website at governorige.hawaii.gov. Video will also be available after the event. Gov. Ige is scheduled to speak at about 7:30 a.m. Hawai‘i time, Tuesday, June 23.

While in Washington, D.C. the Governor will also meet with Hawai‘i’s congressional delegation and various federal officials to discuss issues that include easing air access for international travelers to Hawai‘i; renewable energy; affordable housing; and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) World Conservation Congress, which will be held in Hawai‘i in 2016.

Accompanying Gov. Ige on this trip is Communications Director Cindy McMillan and two security officers. The cost of the trip is estimated at $10,400.

The Governor will be in Washington D.C. from Monday, June 22 until Thursday, June 25.

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