ROLE AND DUTIES

The Department of Research and Development is charged with the responsibility of promoting economic development in Hawaii County and collecting and developing data for decision-making, program development and policy-making. The department’s focus encompasses numerous programs, which include tourism, agriculture, new industry and industry development, and research and statistics. The state-funded energy coordination program as well as the emerging film industry also fall within the department’s responsibilities.

STAFF

The department is staffed with two appointed personnel:

Diane S. Quitiquit, Director

Elaine K. Fukui, Private Secretary

Five permanent personnel:

Howard I. Nakamura, Economist II

Margarita L. Hopkins, Economic Development Specialist III

Colette Rapozo-Yamamoto, Resource Materials Specialist

Lorilei L. Andrade, Account Clerk

Marcia L. Murakami, Clerk-Typist

and two state-funded personnel:

Raymond G. Carr, Ph.D., Economic Development Specialist III (Energy Coordinator)

Marilyn C. Killeri, Economic Development Specialist III (Film Coordinator)

Tourism. Headed by Director Diane S. Quitiquit.

Agriculture. Headed by Margarita L. Hopkins, who has an undergraduate degree in Accounting and an M.S. degree in Agricultural Economics. Prior to joining the department, Hopkins had taught and conducted research in agricultural economics and marketing at several universities and research institutions both in the U.S. and abroad. She has been with the department since 1989 as an Economic Development Specialist III and provides vital coordinative and clearinghouse services for the many agricultural communities and individuals on this island.

New Industry and Industry Development. Headed by Howard I. Nakamura, a graduate of Hilo High School and the University of Hawaii, receiving his undergraduate degree in Agriculture and MBA degree. Nakamura began his service to the County of Hawaii in 1971 with the Legislative Auditor’s Office. In 1975 he joined the R&D staff and has since been the economist.

Municipal Reference Center. Headed by Colette Rapozo-Yamamoto, who has a B.A. in sociology from the University of Hawaii at Hilo and an M.S. in Library and Information Science from Simmons College in Boston. Prior to joining the department, Colette worked in academic, health science, law and public libraries in Hawaii and Boston. She has been with the department since 1994 as our Resource Materials Specialist and provides vital knowledge management services by actively gathering, selecting, organizing, and communicating information to numerous agencies and the general public.

Energy. Headed by Raymond G. Carr, Ph.D., who joined the department as an Economic Development Specialist III in June 1993 and serves as our Energy Coordinator. Carr received his doctorate in Metallurgical Engineering from London University, England. Besides a 20-year career in the engineering field, Raymond has also worked private business, teaching, and financial services. He has been a resident of the Big Island for the last 14 years.

Film. Headed by Marilyn C. Killeri, a graduate of the University of Hawaii with a B.A. in psychology and additional coursework in communications. Prior to joining the Research and Development staff in July 1997, Marilyn spent the 2 prior years representing the County of Hawaii as Film Coordinator on contract and 13 years in film production. Marilyn has been a resident of Hawaii since 1969.

Program Appropriations

This past fiscal year the Big Island has been filled with both success and challenges as we continue to grow the visitor industry. Overall, the island has had more exposure both nationally as well as internationally than ever before. Tourism continues to generate $1.2 billion a year in expenditures for Hawaii’s Big Island, and it is clear that almost everyone who has a job on the Big Island can trace a portion of their pay to the money brought in by visitors to our island.

The Big Island’s visitor profile boasts the highest number of repeat visitors in the state at 63% with a length of stay at 6.99 days. For the calendar year ending December 1998, the number of westbound travelers (US and Canada) increased by 4.8% and the number of eastbound (Japan) increased by 12.2%. For the first six months of 1999, the island has had slow growth in the arrival numbers with a slight 1.0 increase in westbound travelers through May and a 19.5% decline in eastbound travelers. Clearly, the Asian economic crisis is affecting travel to the island.

However, it should be noted also, that overall tourism growth favors the neighbor islands. Where in the past, the island of Oahu was the primary beneficiary of the influx of visitors, especially from Japan, a shift has occurred bringing more of the visitors to the neighbor islands.

A factor that contributes to the growth of arrivals to the Big Island is airlift. The island has been very fortunate in attracting overseas carriers to fly directly to the Kona International Airport. Over the past year the following carriers have brought overseas flights:

Total funding for this program area in Fiscal Year 1998/99 was $511,500.

There has been major reinvestment in the visitor plant this past year with the renovation of the following properties:

Aston Keauhou Beach Hotel at $16 Million

The Outrigger Royal Waikoloan at approximately $25.385 Million

The renovation of our hotel properties is critical to the Big Island remaining competitive in this global economy. We are pleased that these two companies made the financial commitment to our industry.

Promotion

The department participated in the following promotions along with our partners-the Big Island Chapter of the HVCB and the Big Island Group (BIG):

Japan Airlines Japan press tour of 65 of the key travel writers from Japan

American Society of Travel Agents-this convention brought 500-600 travel agents to the Big Island. The event was a huge success and we look forward to increased bookings from these agents.

Pacific Rim Incentive Meetings Exchange-more than one hundred meeting planners descended on the Big Island in June for meetings and a trade show. These individuals were some of the key meeting planners in the industry. We are optimistic that the group will book a significant number of meetings in the future on the island.

In our continued efforts to attract flights from other Asian destinations, the Mayor and a small contingent visited Korea and Japan to have meetings with major Japan wholesalers, airlines and trade publications. These meetings are an important means of strengthening existing relationships and developing new partners in Asia.

Partnerships

Each year, the department seeks out new partnerships and ways to promote the island and stretch the limited dollars available to attract more visitors, and extend their length of stay. The Big Island Chapter of the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau and the Big Island Group have been innovative partners bringing talent and resources to the relationship. The destination organizations have also been partners in providing community resources and guidance in the proper way to strengthen the relationship between the community and the visitors.

Events

Events are an important promotional tool to maximize the island’s exposure in target markets. Events also provide an opportunity to showcase sports, cultural and other types of activities that are very important to the fabric of our communities. Some of the events that we assisted this past year include the only Olympic points event held in the state of Hawaii and many others:

ITU Big Island World Cup Triathlon (Olympic points event)

Merrie Monarch Festival

IRONMAN Triathlon World Championship

The Volcano Marathon

International Billfish Tournament

The Senior Skins Golf Tournament

The Hilo International Marathon

Aloha Festivals

In tourism, visitor satisfaction is critical to the success of the industry. The department uses small amounts of funding to partner with community organizations to embrace the visitors when they arrive. The cruise ship greeting program at the Port of Hilo and Kailua Bay has been very successful due to the willingness of the community to share and welcome our visitors. The experience has been enriching for our cruise passengers as well, allowing them to experience the aloha spirit as soon as they disembark.

Agriculture

Agriculture is a major force in the economy of Hawaii County. Our island produces and processes the bulk of the State’s agricultural products. Marketing plays an essential role in insuring the continued success of this industry. We have developed a comprehensive branding program to help the farmers, processors and manufacturers in the new millennium. This is the first comprehensive program ever provided to the Big Island’s agriculture industry. In the past promotional programs were done on a piecemeal basis.

The program has five components: a logo, poster, portfolio, brochures and a web page. The logo showcases the best Big Island products. The poster and portfolio emphasize the bounty of the Big Island. The brochures provide information on care and handling of our products, seasonality, quality and contacts. Our Big Island agriculture website has won an award from the Public Relation Society of America, Hawaii Chapter and has already proven to be an effective tool for farmers in this electronic age. The site contains information about our products and current contacts. Using this technology allows us to readily meet our customers even though we live here in the middle of Paradise. These marketing tools for farmers, processors or manufacturers will enhance their efforts to attract and entice customers to purchase Big Island products at both the retail and wholesale levels.

The Hawaii Export Nursery Association’s Annual Mid-Pacific Horticultural Trade Show continued to attract an increasing number of national and foreign buyers of horticultural products to the Big Island. To take advantage of their presence on the island, we are expanding this year’s trade show to include other export-ready products. The ultimate goal is to showcase all products produced on the island thus providing more opportunities for our farmers to meet with prospective buyers personally and establish better business rapport.

The Phase I of the Ka’u Agricultural Water System in Pahala which is a joint project between Ka’u Agribusiness Company and the County is seventy percent complete. The system delivers water to the Keaiwa Agricultural Park on a continuous basis where farms are now in production.

The papaya quarantine project in Kahuwai, Puna is progressing with sixty acres into production, forty one acres of which are producing genetically engineered papaya and the remaining twenty acres are planted with Kapoho Solo.

The miconia eradication project which was funded by Hawaii County for three years received additional funding of $150,000 from the state to continue the project for another year. Island-wide surveys of miconia were conducted. County lands between Hilo and Honokaa where mature miconia were found were destroyed. Considerable progress in eradicating miconia was also accomplished in West Hawaii. GIS shapefiles showing miconia population on the Big Island are available on a 3.25 floppy disk, formatted for use in Windows Arc View GIS.

It is essential that farmers implement soil and water conservation practices, particularly as increasing amounts of former sugar lands are converted to diversified agriculture. Good farming practice will insure the health and sustainability of agriculture. To this end, the County provided $25,000 in seed money to start the Hawaii County Soil and Water Conservation program. The funds will be used for ground cover, soil erosion control, flood control, windbreaks and water improvements/conservation projects. The amount is divided between the six Big Island Soil and Water Conservation Districts. This program is patterned from the USDA Agriculture Conservation Program (ACP) which was unfortunately eliminated leaving a backlog of more than 120 ACP requests. To insure the continuation of this program, the Hawaii Association of Conservation Districts, in partnership with the County, is seeking federal funds to support the program for the next three years.

The University of Hawaii Sea Grant Extension Program has been working for the past three years on laying the foundation to formalize a pearl oyster research and training initiative to be based at the University of Hawaii-Hilo. The goal of the program is to position Hawaii as a leader in pearl technology creation. The program will provide technology and information to citizens of Hawaii who are interested in starting pearl farms, training in occupation related to the pearl industry, and facilities and resources to researchers and educators who wish to work in the field of pearl production. R&D provided seed money of $10,000 to start the program.

Production of flowers in greenhouses and shadehouses in tropical and subtropical regions of the world is increasing. This is making it more difficult for Hawaii growers to compete on the world market. One way to maintain a competitive edge is to produce more flowers per plant, keep the cost of production down and maintain a high quality product. This can be achieved by controlling the environment under high tech greenhouses or shadehouses. To test this technology in Hawaii environment, R&D provided seed money to fund such experiments at the University of Hawaii-Hilo.

The recent discovery of the Cucumber Mosaic Virus (CMV) in awa in East Hawaii prompted R&D to fund a risk assessment study which will evaluate the prevalence of CMV in the East Hawaii area. Awa is currently the center of much interest due to the broadening awareness of the pharmaceutical potential of this plant. The information produced in this study is important for developing the policies affecting the movement of plant materials

The decreases in the University of Hawaii’s budget resulted in a major reduction of extension services to Big Island farmers. To help relieve the burden of the extension agents, computer-based information delivery systems must be adopted. The County has provided a grant to the College of Agriculture and Human Resources (CTAHR) to upgrade their computer-based systems.

R&D has continued to work with the Finance Director and the Real Property Tax Office in proposing comprehensive revision of the County Tax Code. Administrative changes have already been implemented resulting in a major simplification of the agriculture tax system. Efforts are ongoing to increase the fairness of the system. R&D is also involved in the current revision of the General Plan.

In addition to providing supplemental grants, in-kind support was extended to various agricultural events. R&D continues to provide vital coordination and clearinghouse services for the many agricultural communities and individuals on this island.

List of funded projects

Research Projects Completed

Abbreviated Title

Effects of Irradiated and Heat Treatment on Quality and Nutrients of Papaya

Nutrient Concentrations in Hawaii-Grown Papayas

Greenhouse Propagation of Rainbow Papaya Under Mist

Structural Testing of Bamboo as Construction Material

Containment/Eradication of Miconia

Improving Norfolk Pine for Christmas Tree Market

Hot Water Disinfestation of Potted Foliage Plants

Papaya Ringspot Virus Control Program

Cost & Returns of Selected Crops in Hawaii

Hilo Foreign-Trade Zone (HFTZ)

The Hilo Foreign-Trade Zone established by the County of Hawaii continues to operate at the old Hilo Airport site across from the interisland cargo area. The present tenant is the Gemini telescope operation which had assembled components for the newly completed observatory on Mauna Kea. Gemini’s lease is scheduled to expire at the end of l999, and the 10,500 square-foot building may be available for a new tenant.

The warehouse structure occupies five acres of FTZ-designated land, however, there are another 25 acres which are available for zone use. While the trade zone is under the jurisdiction of the State of Hawaii, the Department of Research and Development (R&D) assists in the coordination of its operation. If Gemini terminates its lease, the immediate priority will be to locate a tenant for the zone, preferably, one which will provide employment for residents of the Big Island.

Enterprise Zones (EZ)

Having designated five enterprise zones throughout the Big Island, the Department of Research and Development is preparing for the sixth and last designation which will be located in the district of North Kohala. Prior designations have included zones in Hilo-Puna, Ka’u, Hamakua, and North and South Kona. In the past year, the County expanded the Hamakua zone to include the Ookala area and all lands to the Waipio Valley. To date, the County has enrolled 28 businesses in the program and has the most tenants of all zones throughout the islands.

Qualified businesses in enterprise zones receive tax benefits from the State of Hawaii and the County of Hawaii. Qualified businesses include those in agriculture production and processing, manufacturing, wholesaling and distribution, aviation maintenance, and technological and health enterprises.

R&D administers this program for the County, coordinating informational workshops and providing assistance in enrolling tenants for the program.

Hawaiian Heritage Corridor

Continued interest in this program promises potential for more projects on the Big Island. The program ties in well with tourism as more visitors are interested in the culture and history of the Big Island. R&D continues to support the proposed Hawaiian Cultural Center at Punalu’u, has funded projects in the Hilo-Hamakua Coast, and is working with the Kona Historical Society to establish a corridor in the Holualoa-Hookena area. Of special interest to the department is the preservation of artifacts and structures related to the sugar industry. Product development is becoming an important feature in heritage tourism, and the coordination of the potential projects and their development is crucial to the future of this program.

Ka’u Economic Development

Since the closing of the Ka’u Sugar Company, the County of Hawaii has worked with several non-profit organizations in the Ka’u area to establish economic development at the grass-roots level. R&D has worked closely with the Economic Development Administration (EDA) to implement some aspects of the Ka’u Economic Development Plan (EDP) which was funded by EDA following the closure of Ka’u Sugar. To date the County has received two grants for technical assistance projects in Ka’u. The first grant will be utilized to determine the feasibility of a food-processing facility and visitor center in Ka’u; and the second, for an action plan to implement some of the projects in the Ka’u EDP.

Another aspect of economic development in Ka’u is the development of tourism in the district. Ka’u has an interesting history and abundant resources which can be presented in a low-impact format which would be amenable to visitors and residents. R&D will work with Ka’u organizations to evaluate this possibility via the EDA grant and County matching funds.

Hamakua Economic Development

The Department of Research and Development has always been interested in economic development of the Hamakua coast, and been involved with some heritage corridor projects including the Laupahoehoe Train Station and the visitor center and murals in Honokaa. One new approach being funded by R&D is a plan for the economic revival of Paauhau. R&D looks forward to a successful model which may be applied to communities in Hamakua and other areas of the Big Island.

Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS)

Formerly known as the Overall Economic Development Program (OEDP), the Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy will provide a program of economic development for the County of Hawaii and the Economic Development Administration to pursue. Using CEDS as a planning vehicle for economic development, EDA will be able to program projects for technical assistance, public works, and economic adjustment on the Big Island.

R&D is working with the University of Hawaii at Hilo on two projects presently included in the OEDP. Bank of Hawaii’s donation of the building formerly housing the downtown branch will be renovated for use as a high-tech incubator using EDA and State funds.

The abandoned sewer site in Keaukaha will be developed into the Pacific Aquaculture Research Center. The center will research aquacultural applications and provide an outreach program for residents in the Keaukaha area.

Workforce Investment Act

R&D participates in this program with the States’ Department of Labor and Industrial Relations as a member of the Workforce Investment Board (WIB). An overhaul of the Private Industry Council (PIC), the WIB is charged with greater responsibility for training and employment on the Big Island. A greater emphasis will be directed toward the economic development aspects in the implementation of the program.

Census 2000

The Department of Research and Development serves as the County liaison for the scheduled census in 2000. R&D has participated in the local update of census addresses and will work with the Bureau of Census to assure a complete count in 2000.

During the last fiscal year the Big Island Film Office provided liaison services between government agencies, the community and the film industry for over 140 productions worldwide, resulting in approximately $13 million in production expenditures brought into the Big Island economy. The office responded to over 300 inquiries, providing information, support materials and Big Island stock photographs from the film office photo library. The Big Island Film Office website averaged 765 users per month visiting from over 15 countries and email became a daily occurrence in communicating with foreign productions as well as U.S. based companies. Continued development of a computerized database of production companies, film industry personnel and support services as well as website upgrades took place.

As part of a cooperative marketing effort the film office formed an alliance with the neighbor island film offices and the State Film Office, identified as the Film Offices of the Hawaiian Islands. In addition to promotional visits to Hollywood studios, TV networks and production companies, the Film Offices of the Hawaiian Islands, in association with the Hawaii International Film Association, presented a seminar for the Tokyo film industry to define the new Hawaii VISA waiver program. The Big Island Film Office also participated in trade shows, festivals and conferences including: Locations ’99 International Trade Show, The Association of Film Commissioners International Cineposium, Sundance Film Festival and the Hawaii International Film Festival.

The Big Island Film Office developed and implemented advertising and promotional campaigns which resulted in winning two 1^st place marketing awards for Photo/Location Brochure and Color Ad Series Campaign from the Association of Film Commissioners International (AFCI). Ads were placed in the Hawaii Production Index and the Locations Magazine with additional listings in the following industry publications: The Hollywood Reporter Blue-Book Film, TV & Commercial Production Directory, Pacific Coast Studio Directory, The International Location Service Guide, Motion Picture TV and Theatre Directory and the Creative Industry Handbook.

TV Episodes/Specials

NBC (USA) – "Wind on Water"

Pilot Productions (Great Britain) – "Lonely Planet/Hawaii"

Polyphon Films (Germany) – "Dreamboat"

Popular Arts Entertainment (USA) – Disney Channel "Going Wild"

Documentaries

Alphamedia Corp. (Japan) – "NHK Kilauea Live"

Lotern Productions (Canada) – "Suzuki’s Nature Quest"

Pioneer Productions (Great Britain) – "Universe 2001"

Yorkshire Television Center (Great Britain) – ITV – "Paradise Lost Paradise Found"

TV Commercials

Propaganda Films (USA) – "Honda"

Magic Island Productions (Japan) – "Dunlop Golf"

JTH Productions (Japan) – "Japan Airlines"

Gartner Grasso (USA) – "AT&T"

Print/Calendars/Catalogs/Magazines

Quebecor Studio (Canada) – "Sears Catalog"

Island Magazine (USA) – "Sacred Sites"

Tom Burkhart Photography (USA) – "2000 Jeep Dealer Brochure"

RCS (Italy) – "IO Donna Magazine"

Industrials/Marketing/Informationals

Advanced Entertainment Services (USA) – "Tony Robbins Show"

PADI (USA) – "Discover Scuba Diving"

Music Videos

K.G.A. (Japan) – "Miyuki Nakajima"

Rojam Pictures (USA) – "Speed"

Municipal Reference Center

The Municipal Reference Center (MRC) is a service agency of the County of Hawaii currently charged with a twofold responsibility. As the library, its original and continuing function is to meet the information needs of the Department of Research and Development. The Library provides a full range of information services in support of the promotion and economic development of the Big Island. As the MRC it centralizes the holdings of 12 County departmental collections, currently with 9,363 titles on file.

The MRC is responsible for classifying and cataloging all resource materials and for adding and deleting entries in the Library Information System (LIS) database. The LIS is an online library catalog that centralizes the holdings of the 12 County departmental collections. Access to the LIS database is available to all County personnel via the County’s WANG VS 100 system.

Each department is responsible for sending new acquisitions to the Municipal Reference Center to be cataloged, processed and entered into the LIS database. Once entered into the LIS database all printed resource materials and publications housed by the County becomes accessible to all County departments and personnel. Besides centralizing access and allowing for the sharing of resources, this system may effectively prevent funds from being used to purchase multiple copies of resource materials.

The MRC is a depository for some U.S. Bureau of the Census publications, and state as well as county statistical resources. The MRC promotes economic development through continuous data collection and documentation for public use.

Tracking of building permits, tourism counts, labor force, gasoline consumption and tax collections are updated (and distributed upon request) on a monthly basis as the "County of Hawaii Statistics." A newspaper clipping file and index of articles of interest to, and in support of, departmental activities and of the county in general, is also maintained and updated on a daily basis.

The MRC provides reference service to County departments, other governmental agencies, businesses, students and the general public. During the 1998-99 fiscal year, information requests averaged over 50 per week.

Publications: County of Hawaii Data Book 1998 (the most comprehensive source of demographic

and economic information about the Big Island); accessible via County’s Website:

http://www.hawaii-county.com

NewsFile 1998 (in-house annual newspaper selective article index)

Energy

The Hawaii County Building was retrofitted by performance contract early in 1997 and the second year of post retrofit operation was completed on March 31, 1999. Energy use was reduced by 30% and savings for the two years following the retrofit totaled $156,081. This is $13,011 more than the energy and operational cost savings guaranteed in the performance contract.

In view of this favorable experience, it was decided to proceed with efficiency retrofits to the remaining inventory of County-owned buildings. In 1998, Honeywell was selected as contractor through a competitive Request for Proposals and a performance contract was signed on March 22, 1999. This project was split into three phases. Honeywell's Energy Study for Phase I was accepted by the County on June 9, 1999. It detailed efficiency measures to be installed in 27 Police and Fire stations around the island. These retrofits are projected to cost $397,427 and to provide $56,949 in annual savings that will amortize the cost of the retrofits over the 10-year term of the contract. The project is being financed by a Municipal Lease at an interest rate of 5.29%, and installation of the efficiency measures will start in the first quarter of FY1999. Honeywell will next develop the Energy Study for Phase II of the overall project, retrofits to the Hilo Public Safety Building and the Kona Police Station.

It is now more than four years since incorporation of the Hawaii Model Energy Code into the Hawaii County Building Code. In FY98, DBEDT Energy Division funded a study by their consultant, Eley Associates, to establish adherence to Code requirements for energy efficiency in the design of new and renovated commercial buildings. The study showed 87% compliance with Code provisions based on reviews of commercial building plans submitted to the Honolulu and Hawaii County building divisions. This demonstrated the practical effectiveness of the Model Energy Code, which currently provides over $1 million of annual energy savings in buildings statewide.

The Hawaii Electric Light Company (HELCO) submitted its second Integrated Resource Plan to the Public Utilities Commission in September 1998. The supply side plan was based on installation of two oil-fired combustion turbines at Keahole in December 1998 with an output of 46 MW, and a 60 MW dual-train combined cycle system by Encogen at Haina, Honokaa, in August 1999. During this period, 53 MW of existing HELCO owned capacity would be retired. The utility's Demand Side Management program would continue over the 20-year planning period. However, by the end of FY 98 construction of the proposed new capacity had not started due to delays in obtaining permits.

The Energy Coordinator represented the County of Hawaii in a series of collaborative meetings set up by the Public Utilities Commission to explore opportunities for competition in Hawaii's electric industry (PUC Docket 96-0493). On October 14, 1998, a Joinder was submitted to the PUC expressing Hawaii County support for the Statement of Position of the Counties of Maui and Kauai that emphasized restructuring of the retail energy services market and County interests in any utility restructuring program.

The County continued its support of HELCO's commitment to the US DOE's Million Solar Roofs Initiative and development of a kick-off demonstration photovoltaic project on the Big Island. Technical problems precluded installation of a PV-powered fountain and water recirculating system in the ponds at Liliuokalani Park and an alternative demonstration project is now being developed.

The County awarded a contract to JK Electric Inc. of Keaau, to provide two photovoltaic lights at the Isaac Hale Park, Pohoiki, Puna for nighttime illumination at the parking area and boat launch ramp. Installation is scheduled for August 1999. However, the most significant PV project on the Big Island was in the private sector - in February 1999, Mauna Lani Bay Hotel dedicated Phase II of their photovoltaic project. This consists of a rooftop PV array providing 110 kW of peak power to the hotel's two golf maintenance buildings and golf pro shop, as well as for recharging electric golf carts.

Using a $3,500 grant from the Department of Research and Development, the Na Makani Community Energy Initiative of North Kohala submitted its Phase II report to the County in February 1999. This report detailed an action plan related to the community's expressed interest of entering the 21^st century on a 'soft energy path'. The community's sustained efforts were rewarded in May when the US Department of Energy announced award of a $37,616 grant to the Na Makani Energy Initiative to assist in implementation of their action plan through the installation of low-cost solar domestic water heaters at 100 homes in North Kohala.