Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism

Hawaii Green Infrastructure Authority
For Immediate Release: April 22, 2024

Funds will enable thousands of low-income households to access affordable, resilient, and clean solar energy

HONOLULU—The Hawaii Green Infrastructure Authority (HGIA) will be awarded $62.45 million from the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) which will enable the state to expand the number of low-income households and disadvantaged communities that can access affordable, resilient, and clean solar energy, supporting efforts to increase the reach of its existing rooftop solar program as well as expand its financing programs to also include community solar. This historic investment was made possible due to the Solar for All program and the Inflation Reduction Act’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, through the Biden-Harris Administration’s Investing in America agenda, which aims to make rooftop solar and storage systems accessible to low-income families nationwide and close the equity gap in access to solar energy.

“Climate change and affordability have continued to be critical areas of focus for our administration,” said Governor Josh Green, M.D. “We look forward to continuing this important work of delivering clean energy to our communities and improving the quality of life for our residents in perpetuity.”

“This unprecedented investment, designed to specifically benefit low-income households and disadvantaged communities, will create good-paying clean energy jobs and build a clean energy economy that will address the climate crisis and help our communities thrive,” said James Kunane Tokioka, director of the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism and chair of the HGIA board.

“The progress we will make through the Solar for All award is in direct alignment with the state’s goal of making Hawaii more affordable, while serving as another major step toward our goal of 100-percent clean renewable energy for electricity,” said HGIA executive director Gwen Yamamoto-Lau. “Leveraging Solar for All funding with state and private capital, HGIA will assist thousands of low-income households lower their energy burden and carbon emissions, while increasing resiliency and grid stability over the next five years.”

About the Hawaii Green Infrastructure Authority (HGIA)
HGIA, administratively attached to the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism (DBEDT), was constituted to democratize clean energy by making clean energy investment accessible and affordable to Hawaii’s underserved ratepayers, while stimulating private investments and leveraging innovative tools to mitigate risks and reach new markets. In addition to clean energy financing, HGIA provides credit enhancements and non-traditional financing to expand access to capital for small businesses and nonprofits statewide. For more information, please visit gems.hawaii.gov.

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MEDIA CONTACTS:
Gwen S. Yamamoto-Lau
Executive Director
Hawaii Green Infrastructure Authority
808-587-2690

Laci Goshi
Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism
(808) 518-5480