HEI, Hawaiian Telcom taking steps to improve environment
Apr. 10—Hawaii utilities highlight, commit to environmentally friendly practices
Hawaiian Electric Industries Inc. and Hawaiian Telcom recently highlighted their efforts and plans to operate with more environmentally friendly practices, which include projects to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve their use of clean energy.
Last week HEI published its latest environmental, social and governance report for subsidiary companies Hawaiian Electric and American Savings Bank, while Hawaiian Telcom released a "climate action plan " detailing its climate-friendly goals.
Hawaiian Telcom, via its climate action plan, plans to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 40 % in seven years.
The key to reaching that goal, the telecommunications provider said, is to reduce carbon emissions by serving customers with energy-efficient fiber-optic cables, which it is working on installing.
In 2022, Hawaiian Telcom reported investing $160 million to expand and support its fiber infrastructure.
Approximately 268, 000 homes and businesses in Hawaii have access to the company's 100 % fiber internet service Fioptics, it reported.
Hawaiian Telcom said fiber is 100 times more energy-efficient than copper. Fiber requires less energy to transmit data, which means fewer greenhouse gases are used.
"Our climate action plan supports and complements our mission to connect and empower our Hawai 'i by expanding our fiber-optic infrastructure. We enhance service to our customers and reduce unwanted emissions by replacing the energy-intensive copper network with greener fiber, " said Nadja Turek, sustainability director for Hawaiian Telcom, in a statement. "Fiber not only provides exponentially faster internet speeds and increased reliability for our customers, it is also better for the environment."
Hawaiian Telcom is also working on a process to migrate customers served by its Aina Haina central office to fiber-based services. It said the switch, once completed, will result in 112, 000 fewer kilowatt-hours of power and reduce carbon-dioxide-equivalent emissions by 63 metric tons.
Hawaiian Electric, according to its ESG report, in 2022 brought online Oahu's first utility-scale solar and battery project and, overall, generated nearly one-third of its energy from renewable sources.
The utility said it also selected seven solar projects to serve low-and moderate-income-level residents.
The theme of HEI's ESG report is laulima, which it notes translates to "many hands working together."
"Laulima reflects the fact that creating a sustainable, thriving future is a collective effort, " said Celeste Connors, CEO of Hawaii Green Growth Local2030 Hub and a board member of HEI. "As an island economy, we are constantly reminded of our interdependence and finite resources, and that informs the way we work together and the way business is done in Hawai 'i and at HEI."
The report includes highlights from American Savings Bank, which originated $12 million in clean-energy loans and financed more than $65 million in commercial clean-energy projects from 2010 to 2022.
HEI's ESG report also highlights $3 million in donations in 2022 across its family of companies that it said were dedicated "to environmental sustainability, community resilience, economic strength and educational excellence."
