Select an option below to continue reading this premium story.
Already a Honolulu Star-Advertiser subscriber? Log in now to continue reading.
Eric Gleason, president and CEO of NextEra Energy Hawaii, took the stand Tuesday at a hearing held by the state Public Utilities Commission to review NextEra Energy Inc.’s proposed $4.3 billion purchase of Hawaiian Electric Industries.
Gleason defended 10 commitments that NextEra Energy added to the 85 it previously made to win support for the deal.
The new commitments, which the PUC approved in January, include installing a voting board of directors with a majority of members being Hawaii residents, making “good faith” efforts to develop employees from within Hawaiian Electric Cos. to fill executive vacancies at the utility and maintaining Hawaii’s electric utilities’ finances independently from NextEra and the parent company’s affiliates.
NextEra’s 10 new commitments came from an agreement between NextEra and the U.S. Department of Defense and were submitted to the PUC on Nov. 27, the same day the Department of Defense submitted a motion to withdraw from the proceeding after signing an agreement with NextEra to work with the Navy on energy-related projects.
The hearings, which are being held at the Neal S. Blaisdell Center, are open to the public. PUC approval is needed for the sale to close.
On the Move
Turtle Bay Resort has announced the following management appointments:
>> Brian Hunnings as resort manager. He has more than 25 years of hotel experience including work as executive assistant manager at Sheraton Maui Resort & Spa and area food and beverage director for Starwood Hotels & Resorts in Hawaii and Polynesia.
>> Darcie Patlidzanov as group sales manager. She has more than 20 years of experience in the hospitality industry, recently serving as group sales manager for Starwood Hotels & Resorts in Waikiki.
Gabriel Nakashima has been chosen as among the “2016 Forbes 30 Under 30” in Education. He is the founder of Charter Substitute Teacher Network, which has a 320-employee operation and is in schools across Chicago, Denver and more. Nakashima is a graduate of the University of Hawaii at Manoa College of Education Institute for Teacher Education. He plans to return to Hawaii and help build education programs along the Waianae Coast.
