Caroline Carl has been named executive director of Hawaii Energy.
Carl joined Hawaii Energy in 2011 as the Hawaii County energy adviser helping Big Island businesses save on their electric bills through education and the adoption of energy-saving equipment. She began overseeing the residential and transformational programs in 2013 before transitioning to deputy director in 2015, and has been serving as interim executive director since March 22.
She succeeds Brian Kealoha who had joined the organization as its executive director in 2016.
“It is an honor to be able to step into this role and help further Hawaii Energy’s efforts in making energy efficiency programs more accessible and more affordable to Hawaii families and businesses,” Carl said in a statement. “As we’ve seen in recent months with the expected rise in electric costs, we are at a critical point in which we must strategically evolve our energy efficiency programs in order to meet changing grid needs and achieve 100% clean energy by 2045.”
Carl received a bachelor's degree in environmental studies from McGill University and a master's degree in geographic information science and technology from the University of Southern California. She serves on the board of directors for the Hawaii Solar Energy Association and Women in Renewable Energy, or WiRE.
The Hawaii Energy program was established in 2008 as part of the Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative and is managed directly by the state Public Utilities Commission. It is funded through, and administers, the Public Benefits Fund, which is collected through a surcharge on electric utility bills, and administers the state’s rebate program for electric vehicle charging stations, funded through the state Legislature.
