What is the full scope of your advocacy for consumers?
We primarily represent the interests of all types of customers of Hawaii’s regulated utilities (residential, commercial, industrial) and transportation providers in proceedings before the state Public Utilities Commission (PUC). We also engage in matters before federal agencies such as the Federal Communications Commission. We represent customers of the electric companies (Hawaiian Electric and its subsidiaries Maui Electric and Hawaii Electric Light, and Kauai Island Utility Cooperative), Hawaii Gas, privately owned water and wastewater utilities, regulated telecommunication companies such as Hawaiian Telcom, and water carriers such as Young Brothers.
The scope of regulatory oversight is informed by the ownership model for the utility and the extent to which there are competing providers. The cooperative receives less oversight than an investor-owned utility because cooperative members are owners and can more directly represent their interests. In sectors where there are multiple providers, such as telecommunications, there is less oversight because providers have an incentive to offer better rates and services to attract and retain customers given the competition within the industry.
Additionally, although we do not have the dedicated and specialized personnel needed to regularly handle individual customer disputes with their utility, our office strives to assist customers, where possible, in seeking resolutions.
How do you balance the ratepayers’ interest with the desire of companies to make a fair profit?
Our North Star is advocating that actions undertaken by the regulated companies are reasonable and in the best interest of all ratepayers. We also recognize that the services provided by the regulated companies address critical needs of people within the state and that having financially healthy regulated utilities and transportation providers is in the interest of customers. The regulatory process is designed to mitigate the potential for regulated companies taking actions that are not within the public’s interest.
Our office’s role in that process is to review requests from those companies and make recommendations to the PUC, which is the deciding body. The commission weighs the inputs of our office, the regulated entity and the public in making its decision. Generally, our office views actions that benefit ratepayers as those that cost-effectively and equitably prioritize the safety, reliability and resiliency of the services provided and advance the state’s policy objectives, which include achieving the state’s clean energy and climate goals and decreasing the state’s reliance on imported fossil fuels.
Will Hawaii’s transition to renewable energy appreciably decrease electricity costs, or will they remain among the nation’s highest?
High electricity costs in Hawaii are driven, in part, by the currently high cost of importing fossil fuel and the types of fossil fuel that we use to generate power in Hawaii (low sulfur fuel oil and diesel fuel). Moreover, not having the benefit of a large interconnected electrical grid necessitates additional investments and expenditures to ensure a sufficiently reliable system. Moving away from fossil-fueled generation and toward clean energy has the potential to decrease electricity rates in the long run, provided that the prices paid for renewable energy and grid services trend downward and offset the costs to incorporate the new resources onto the grid, as well as the costs of enhancing the safety, reliability and resiliency of the system. We must also be vigilant to ensure that the benefits of adding renewable generation are accessible to all customers and that the planning and development of large-scale renewable energy projects directly involve the community and deliver benefits to them.
How might fallout from the Lahaina disaster affect energy rates for Maui Electric and Hawaiian Electric customers?
With the wildfires on Maui being so devastating and impacting so many throughout Hawaii, this is a question that is on top of everyone’s mind. Our current focus is on matters that facilitate restoration of service and provide relief to affected customers. In the longer run, as costs are incurred to rebuild the grid and make it more resilient, at least some portion of those costs will probably be borne by customers. The consumer advocate’s office is working to protect ratepayers from those costs and has sought input from consumer advocates in other jurisdictions who have faced related issues on methods to mitigate the impact on customers.
How has your background prepared you for your current job?
Successfully advocating for all ratepayers’ interests requires understanding their collective and individual interests and needs. At the most fundamental level, that means interacting with the community and individuals to hear and understand their concerns. The process takes sufficient time, communication and iterative feedback. Each of my professional roles has included aspects of understanding a client’s need and working together with a team of experts to deliver a solution to address that need.
I view the customers of the regulated companies as the clients that we serve. We have an expert team of accountants, attorneys, economists, engineers and social scientists that works together to advocate for the most beneficial outcomes for our clients.
I look forward to continuing to learn more about the needs of our different communities. The public can participate in regulatory proceedings such as the Energy Equity Docket (Docket No. 2022-0250, accessible at: https://hpuc.my.site.com/cdms/s/puc-case/a2G8z0000007ezIEAQ/pc20209). Also, if someone is looking to join our team and is interested in being a strong advocate, we are currently hiring (see the state’s job website for more information about openings within our division).
THE BIO FILE
>> Job: Executive director, Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs’ Division of Consumer Advocacy (consumer advocate)
>> Previous: Technology consultant, Hawaiian Electric; senior applications engineer, Kevala, Inc.; research analyst, Hawaii Division of Consumer Advocacy; research faculty at Hawaii Natural Energy Institute, University of Hawaii-Manoa
>> Personal background: Grew up in Delaware, moved to Hawaii 18 years ago. University of Delaware (undergraduate degree, chemical engineering); University of Hawaii (master’s degree, mechanical engineering)
>> Outside interests: Certified SCUBA instructor; diving, fishing, kayaking
>> One more thing: When I was in the fourth grade, I learned how solar cells transform light into electricity without causing pollution from a science textbook and was enlightened. That experience launched my nearly lifelong interest in clean energy and making it available to everyone.
