Hawaii among best states for young adults

Hawaii is ranked sixth among the top 10 best states for young adults, according to MoneyRates.com, though it was beaten soundly by both Dakotas and is trailed slightly by Utah. The top 10, in order, are North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Montana, Iowa, Hawaii, Okla­homa, Louisiana, Massachusetts and Utah.

The online personal finance site reviewed states based on factors including youth unemployment, the proportion of young adults in a state’s population, college costs, rental availability and costs, high-speed Internet access and the numbers of bars, pubs and nightclubs per capita as well as fitness clubs per capita.

"Some people may raise their eyebrows when they see North Dakota ranked as the best state for young people," says Richard Barrington, senior financial analyst. "However, the fact that such a high portion of its population is between 18 and 24 shows that the state is attractive to that age group."

Further, the unemployment rate for 20- to 24-year-olds in North Dakota is at 5.1 percent, a likely key factor in the state’s ongoing boom, he said.

PUC approves local biofuel buy for HECO

State regulators have cleared Hawaiian Electric Co. to buy about 10 million gallons of locally produced biofuel annually to burn at the utility’s Kahe power plant.

The biofuel, to be made by Hawaii BioEnergy from plant material grown on Kauai, will replace about 5 percent of the oil burned at the HECO power plant, according to a fuel contract approved Friday by the Public Utilities Commission. Replacing petroleum with biofuel allows HECO to move closer to its mandate of generating 40 percent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030.

"Having a diverse renewable energy portfolio that includes renewable biofuels for the electricity sector will also help the state achieve a clean energy transformation that may benefit the transportation sector in the long term," said Hermina Morita, PUC chairwoman.

HECO did not disclose the price it will pay for the biofuel. The utility is continuing to negotiate biofuel contracts with other companies, and disclosing the price it is paying could cause those companies to increase the asking price for their biofuel, a HECO spokes­man said.

Ford, university to collaborate on batteries

ANN ARBOR, Mich. » Ford Motor Co. and the University of Michigan are opening a new battery research and manufacturing lab that they hope will speed development of batteries for electric and hybrid cars.

The center, on the university’s campus in Ann Arbor, will bring together battery makers, car companies and researchers who will test new batteries for prototype vehicles.

Ted Miller, who manages battery research at Ford, said the lab will be unique in the U.S. He said that labs testing new battery chemistries can’t produce them in the amounts or formats needed for automotive research, and battery companies aren’t always sure that what they are developing could be useful to the automotive industry.

Microsoft’s phone to feature driving mode

NEW YORK » Microsoft is updating its Windows software for cellphones to accommodate larger devices and make it easier for motorists to reduce distractions while driving.

It’s the third update to Windows Phone 8 software since the system’s release a year ago. Devices with this update will start appearing in the coming weeks, and older phones will be eligible for a free upgrade, too.

Something that may appeal to motorists is a new Driving Mode that will automatically silence incoming calls and texts so drivers can focus on the road. It will also allow a configuration to automatically send out a reply to say that the call recipient is driving.

BlackBerry ad seeks to reassure customers

TORONTO » BlackBerry is publishing an open letter in major publications around the world in a bid to reassure customers that they can count on the distressed smartphone company. The letter was released Monday on Twitter and will be published today. It acknowledges "these are no doubt challenging times for us and we don’t underestimate the situation" but says "you can continue to count on BlackBerry." The missive notes that BlackBerry has substantial cash and is debt-free.

BlackBerry is considering a sale or breakup of its operations. The Canadian company announced last month that Fairfax Financial Holdings, which owns 10 percent of the company, signed a letter of intent that "contemplates" buying BlackBerry for $9 a share, or $4.7 billion. Fairfax, BlackBerry’s largest shareholder, is trying to lure other investors.

S. Korean tire maker to build first U.S. plant

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. » South Korean tire maker Hankook announced Monday that it will build its first North American plant in Tennessee, creating 1,800 jobs.

Hankook, the world’s seventh-largest tire maker, said it will build the $800 million facility in Clarksville. Construction on the 1.5 million-square-foot facility is scheduled to begin by the end of next year, and it will begin making high-end performance tires by early 2016.

Suntech bankrupt

Suntech Power Holdings Co. had involuntary liquidation bankruptcy proceedings initiated against it Sunday by holders of more than $1.5 million of defaulted securities under a 2008 $575 million indenture. Suntech, a one-time customer of Hawaii based Hoku Corp., was forced to put its Chinese solar unit in bankruptcy in March.

ON THE MOVE

Hawaii Pacific University has named Sam Moku to vice president of university relations from director of public and governmental relations. His experience includes work as director of the city Department of Community Services and executive director of the state Department of Hawaiian Home Lands.

Aqua Hospitality announced recent appointments at the home office in its information technology and revenue management departments:

» Kalei Lyman to property systems manager. Lyman has been with Aqua since 2007, working in management positions in operations and the home office. His new responsibilities include handling all property-level systems, including the property management software and payment systems, key systems and interfaces between related systems.

» Frances Impe­lido to information technology coordinator. She assists in the day-to-day operation of the information technology team, including answering calls, assigning staff to tickets and assisting with scheduling of projects.

» Marc Nelson to senior revenue analyst. Nelson joined Aqua in August and is responsible for designing, building and analyzing reports and making recommendations for profitable action paths.

» Mary Tong to budget/development analyst. Tong administers Aqua’s annual budgeting process, including coordinating directly with operations management, controllers and the revenue management team to bring together the 2014 budgets.