Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism

Hawaii State Energy Office
For Immediate Release: September 23, 2021

HONOLULU—The Hawaii State Energy Office is seeking candidates to fill three full-time AmeriCorps VISTA positions to continue building its capacity to serve vulnerable and underserved communities. “We are seeking candidates who want to tackle the climate crisis at its roots – energy, and equity to create a better quality of life for all of us here in Hawaii,” said Hawaii’s Chief Energy Officer Scott Glenn.

The Energy Office, in partnership with the Hawaii Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Commission, is hiring for the second year of its mission-oriented Climate Ready VISTA Corps to create job opportunities while building capacity to achieve an equitable 100% clean energy Hawaii. “The second generation of the Climate Ready Hawaii Cohort will carry forward the important work we’ve started to develop more equitable and resilient ways to help underserved communities,” said Glenn.

“Our VISTA program members gain valuable experience working with experts in the energy field while supporting the Energy Office’s mission to help build a resilient, clean energy, decarbonized economy in Hawaii,” said Deputy Energy Officer Kirsten Baumgart Turner. The three Energy Office positions, along with their counterparts in the Hawaii Green Infrastructure Authority, the Hawaii Department of Health, the Hawaii Department of Transportation, and neighbor island County agencies will also work together on statewide decarbonization projects that promote equity under the direction of the State Climate Change Commission’s staff.

The three Energy Office VISTA openings are for:

• An Energy Climate Communication Associate to help the Hawaii State Energy Office develop targeted outreach initiatives to better inform, educate and engage vulnerable communities in energy project decision making, access to energy conservation and clean energy resources to lower costs, increase living wage employment, and improve health and welfare outcomes.
• An Energy Affordability and Climate Associate to help the Hawaii State Energy Office lift vulnerable and underserved communities out of poverty by lowering their energy costs, decreasing the potential negative impacts and improving the benefits of clean energy projects, and providing higher wage, long-term employment opportunities. Play a key role in helping us build equity into our policies and programs to ensure “no one is left behind.”
• A Transportation Energy and Climate Associate to help the Hawaii State Energy Office lift vulnerable communities out of poverty by lowering their transportation costs, decreasing the potential negative impacts and improving the benefits of transportation energy projects, and providing higher wage, long-term employment opportunities.

The VISTA members will join the Energy Office for at least one year. Applications will be accepted through October 04, 2021. For more information or to apply go to climate.hawaii.gov/hi-vista/2022-climate-ready-corps.

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About the Hawaii State Energy Office
The Hawaii State Energy Office (HSEO) is an attached agency of the state’s Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism. The HSEO’s mission is to promote energy efficiency, renewable energy, and clean transportation to help achieve a resilient, clean energy, decarbonized economy. Toward this end, the HSEO is developing policies and programs to achieve our energy and climate change goals while identifying strategies that create jobs, lower costs, and improve quality of life in Hawaii. For more information, visit energy.hawaii.gov.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Kirsten Baumgart Turner
Deputy Energy Officer
Hawaii State Energy Office
(808) 587-3807