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Another state has signed on with Better Place to create an electric-car network. Hawaii Governor Linda Lingle announced yesterday that Hawaii is partnering up to fuel Hawaii’s drive to lead the nation in renewable energy use, and create jobs locally.
“Attracting investments into the state is a major component of our Five-Point Action Plan to help stimulate the economy,” said Governor Linda Lingle. “Today’s announcement is a significant move towards our state gaining independence from foreign oil. This public-private partnership is exactly the type of investment we have been working on as we continue to carry out our Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative (HCEI), moving toward the goal of 70 percent clean energy for the State of Hawaii. It highlights the importance we place on finding innovative ways to attract investments in energy technology,” Governor Lingle added.
The move is only the second of its kind announced in the nation. California announced its partnership recently to lead the way in setting up this sort of EV consortium.
Better Place plans to begin permitting for the network within the next year and begin introducing vehicles within 18 months, with mass-market availability of electric cars in 2012. Hawaii joins Israel, Denmark, Australia and California since Better Place was founded in October 2007, committed to deploying the world’s first electric car networks.
Hawaii spends up to $7 billion a year on oil imports and drivers pay some of the highest gasoline prices in the nation. The carbon produced from consumer vehicles utilizing foreign oil account for nearly 20 percent of the state’s Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions. Building the infrastructure for widespread adoption of electric vehicles will not only stimulate the local economy and reduce carbon emissions, but also provide a more affordable transportation option to Hawaii’s drivers.
“Hawaii, with its ready access to renewable energy resources like solar, wind, wave and geothermal, is the ideal location to serve as a blueprint for the rest of the U.S. in terms of reducing our dependence on foreign oil, growing our renewable energy portfolio and creating an infrastructure that will stabilize our economy,” said Shai Agassi, Founder and CEO of Better Place. “Hawaii has made the commitment to breaking its dependence on foreign oil, and is leading the way in addressing the most important economic and energy issues facing us today.”
The arrival of Better Place Hawaii furthers the progress of the Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative (HCEI) signed in January “with the goal to meet the state’s energy needs from 70% clean energy by 2030, as well as fostering economic growth and building the workforce of the future. The state is well on its way to leading the nation to a new era of energy independence. “While oil prices have recently come down from their historic highs, we believe this volatility highlights the urgency for a transformation to renewable energies,” said Ted Liu, director of the state Department of Business, Economic development and Tourism. “As we begin to break our addiction to foreign oil, we will be a model for the rest of the nation and the world.”
See the video here
See the press conference here
