Jennifer Sabas, longtime aide to the late U.S. Sen. Daniel K. Inouye, has been hired by NextEra Energy Inc. to help the company win approval for its $4.3 billion purchase of Hawaiian Electric Industries.
Sabas said Thursday she was hired by NextEra in June. Sabas declined to say how much she is being paid by the Florida-based energy company.
Sabas serves as director of the Daniel K. Inouye Institute Fund after working for the senator since 1987 and as his chief of staff since 1993.
She is also executive director of Move Oahu Forward, a pro-rail organization. HEI President and Chief Executive Officer Connie Lau as well as Hawaiian Electric Co. President and CEO Alan Oshima sit on the organization’s board of directors.
Sabas is also a lobbyist for the University of Hawaii, under a $189,000-a-year contract signed in October with The National Group in Washington, D.C.
For NextEra, Sabas said she is working on community outreach to help the company “get their story out.”
“I believe that if Hawaii is going to achieve the 100 percent renewable goal that Gov. David Ige has set out for the state by 2045, Hawaiian Electric could use a partner that is well capitalized and committed to be able to achieve that in that time,” she said.
Sabas has her work cut out for her, as NextEra’s proposed purchase of HEI has run into significant opposition, including from Ige.
Ige said in July he is opposed to NextEra’s proposed purchase of Hawaii’s largest electric utility and is recommending the state Public Utilities Commission reject the deal.
The governor, who appoints the commissioners who run the PUC, said in his opposition that he is not convinced NextEra is the company to get the state to its 100 percent renewable energy goal.
Most of the 28 groups involved in the sale’s review — including the U.S. Department of Defense — said they either oppose the purchase or could accept it only with conditions.
None of the intervenors fully supported the sale.
The state Consumer Advocate testified Aug. 10 that the sale is not in the public interest. Following the Consumer Advocate’s testimony, the Sierra Club asked NextEra to withdraw its application.
NextEra’s purchase of HEI got approval from HEI shareholders in June. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approved the sale in March.
The PUC said it expects to have a decision on the sale by June.
NextEra declined to comment when asked about hiring Sabas.
