Hawai‘i Green Infrastructure Authority honored as Financial Ally Goal Achiever

Hawai‘i Green Infrastructure Authority exceeded its financing goal of $25 million in funds extended for energy-saving projects, earning recognition from U.S. Department of Energy which recently honored the agency as a Financial Ally Goal Achiever in the Better Buildings & Better Plants Initiative.

The authority is one of the market leaders partnering with the federal Energy Department to drive energy savings and share financing strategies with others. It is profiled on the department’s Better Buildings & Better Plants Solution Center.

Better Buildings & Better Plants partners saved more than $24 billion in energy costs to date, and financial allies extended $41 billion for projects that improve energy performance.

Hawai‘i Green Infrastructure Authority’s Green Energy Money $aver, or GEM$, program finances clean energy improvements — including solar-plus-storage, heat pumps, solar water heaters and commercial energy efficiency upgrades — for underserved ratepayers such as low- to moderate-income households, nonprofits, small businesses and state agencies.

The authority continues to accept residential and commercial Green Energy Money $aver program applications to further expand energy savings throughout Hawai‘i and accelerate the state’s commitment to reach 100% renewable energy by 2045.

Interested parties can visit the Hawai‘i Green Infrastructure Authority website (gems.hawaii.gov) to learn more and apply.

“We are thrilled to be recognized for meeting our clean energy financing goals under the Better Buildings & Better Plants Initiative,” said Hawai‘i Green Infrastructure Authority Executive Director Gwen Yamamoto Lau in a release about the honor. “This milestone reflects our commitment to making clean energy accessible and affordable for Hawai‘i’s residents, nonprofits and small businesses.”

U.S. Department o Energy partners with hundreds of public and private sector organizations through the Better Buildings & Better Plants Initiative to make commercial, public, industrial and residential buildings more efficient, thereby saving energy and money while creating jobs and strengthening the economy.

Discover more than 3,400 proven efficiency solutions from these partners on the Better Buildings & Better Plants Solution Center website.

“We look forward to continuing to meet, and exceed, our goals as we work towards a more affordable and sustainable Hawai‘i,” Lau said.

Hawai‘i Green Infrastructure Authority — which is administratively attached to Hawai‘i Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism — was created to democratize clean energy by making clean energy investment accessible and affordable to Hawai‘i’s underserved ratepayers, while stimulating private investments and leveraging innovative tools to mitigate risks and reach new markets.

Click here to learn more.