HONOLULU – Gov. Linda Lingle, at the invitation of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), will travel to Nassau and Denver as part of the Lingle-Aiona Administration's continuing efforts to develop partnerships to increase Hawai'i's energy independence and strengthen the state's role as a global leader in alternative energy, according to a news release issued by the governor's office.

"Energy security and climate change are issues that transcend borders," said Governor Lingle. "As an island state with abundant and diverse renewable energy sources, we have an opportunity to make advances that will not only benefit the people of Hawai'i, but other nations around the world," Lingle said in the release. "I'm honored to take part in these events that will expand Hawai'i's renewable energy expertise, create new international partnerships and strengthen our role as a leader on the national and world stage in this important area."

Lingle will travel to Nassau, Bahamas for a one-day conference on July 24 that focuses on developing renewable energy solutions for island nations, states and territories, such as Hawai'i as well as Caribbean island nations. She will also participate in the announcement of an international partnership for energy development in island nations to facilitate the development and deployment of clean energy technologies that utilize indigenous renewable energy resources and reduce dependence on fossil fuels. The partnership's founding members include New Zealand, Iceland and the U.S., with the Department of Energy coordinating Hawai'i's involvement as the representative state for America.

Island states and nations are particularly vulnerable to risks posed by volatile fuel markets, according to the news release.

High dependence on imported fossil fuels and their progressively unpredictable markets undermines the economic stability and security of island states and nations. Currently, Hawai'i relies on imported oil for 90 percent of its energy needs.

Through the Hawai'i Clean Energy Initiative, a public-private partnership formed in January between the state and U.S. Department of Energy, Hawai'i is moving toward having 70 percent of its energy come from clean energy sources by 2030. Hawai'i is serving as a model, especially among other island economies, for integrating high levels of renewable energy and energy efficiency into existing energy infrastructure.

Following the one-day Nassau conference, Lingle will travel the next day to Denver, Colorado to participate in a regulatory training workshop, as part of the Hawai'i Clean Energy Initiative. The training, led by national experts on utility regulation, continues a series of workshops that began this past spring to inform and equip Hawai'i regulators with the tools and options to develop the regulatory framework needed to enable Hawai'i to achieve its renewable energy goals. The workshop will be attended by commissioners and staff of the Hawai'i Public Utilities Commission, the state consumer advocate, Hawai'i utilities industry representatives, chairs of the Senate and House energy committees, county energy commissioners and private sector representatives.

The training workshop will be held at the Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), the nation's primary laboratory for energy efficiency and renewable energy research and development. In March, Governor Lingle and NREL officials announced a collaborative public-private partnership to establish a wind technology program on Maui, including the establishment of a Remote Research Affiliate Partner Site at UPC Wind's Kaheawa Wind Power farm. It is the first such partner site for the NREL's wind technology program outside of its base in Colorado.

The Governor's travel expenses for the two-and-a-half-day trip are being covered by the U.S. Department of Energy.

Information on the Hawai'i Clean Energy Initiative can be found at: www.hawaii.gov/gov/energy <http://www.hawaii.gov/gov/energy> .