For this week’s column I spoke to three energy experts on the importance of our electrical grid.
Olin Lagon is a serial entrepreneur and CEO of Shifted Energy. Lagon just had his first child and, in true Hawaii office culture, his co-workers chipped in for a card and a gift. The card finally arrived on his desk three weeks later. Although a great gesture, the process of collecting small amounts of money from a distributed group of people was a nightmare.
Lagon realized that there must be a better solution. In that moment, the idea for one of the world’s first commercial crowdfunding companies was born. His company went on to process $100 million to help fund causes worldwide. The company was eventually acquired in 2007.
Like mint in the desert, the most unexpected conditions can sprout innovation.
The purple banana flower blooms beautifully, and if it isn’t taken care of, it won’t become a fruit. Purple is the rarest color in nature. If you don’t look for it, you’ll never see it. But if you do, you’ll see it everywhere.
Lagon merged his love for culture and social innovation to co-found the Purple Mai‘a Foundation, a technology education nonprofit focused on providing opportunities for innovation in underserved communities. He says the purple maia (or banana) flower is the perfect analogy for kids. If you never look for their skills and talents, you’ll never see them. But if you do, you’ll see them everywhere.
A Microsoft employee was telling Lagon about how amazing all of this renewable-energy stuff is. After raving, he asked Lagon what he thought about it. Lagon said, “Do you really want to know what I think?” And the Microsoft employee nodded.
He told him he thinks it’s sad because we’re celebrating something that is socially unjust on several fronts. Every person getting off the grid is less money being put into a pool to support the cost of running grid. The people left on the grid, at the end of the day, are the ones who can least afford it. After Lagon and the Microsoft employee took a long look at the world through Lagon’s lens, the Microsoft employee understood.
This concept of social justice demonstrated by the electrical grid is what birthed Shifted Energy, an Energy Excelerator company that turns electric water heaters into batteries that store excess renewable energy. Energy Excelerator is a nonprofit that helps innovative energy companies advance. Ninety-five percent of Shifted’s grid-interactive water heaters are thriving in hard-to-reach communities, used by people who have a difficult time engaging in renewable-energy programs.
Scott Seu, vice president of systems operation at Hawaiian Electric Co., told me about his recent experience.
“Two weekends ago we returned from a trip to Kauai with over 40 CEOs and executives from Energy Excelerator’s portfolio companies,” Seu said. “In the breakout session I was in, our group came up with a future ideal state where we figured out a way that no action taken by one person has a negative impact on another — essentially, Buckminster Fuller’s World Game.
“I lead the systems operation team at Hawaiian Electric. We have the 24/7 role of keeping watch over our island’s energy system. We are the ones running the grid. When you get into the world of system operation, all of a sudden you see everything at its nexus and how everyone has a role to play.
“Everything is connected,” Seu said.
A month ago I talked to Mina Morita, former chairwoman of the state Public Utilities Commission, and she said, “The grid is a really important public infrastructure. It brings equity and social justice. We only succeed if everyone benefits from this transformation.”
Everything is connected.
Lauren Tonokawa is head of the communications team at the Energy Excelerator. She’s a graduate of the University of Hawaii. Reach her at laurentonokawa@gmail.com.
