project partnerships
Maui Economic Development Board has collaborated with organizations and partners for key projects.
JUMPSmartMaui
MEDB partnered with New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) to launch JUMPSmartMaui in 2013. The program incorporated Smart Grid, renewable energy and all-electric vehicle (EV) solutions to achieve a cleaner, more sustainable future free of fossil fuels. JUMPSmartMaui aimed to gain insight into how to build a more efficient electric system that uses more renewable energy and supports electric vehicles. Hitachi Ltd., Mizuho Corporate Bank and Cyber Defense Institute were awarded the contract by NEDO to develop the JUMPSmartMaui program. In 2017 the program was renamed EVOhana with a focus on providing a charging station infrastructure for EV users of Maui.
MPOWER Maui
In a five-week period in January and February 2015, 435 Maui residents responded to MEDB’s invitation to share their priorities and values about energy on Maui – today and in the future – as part of a project called “MPowerMaui: An Energy Conversation.”
The MPowerMaui project was presented by the Maui Economic Development Board with sponsorship from the County of Maui Mayor’s Office of Economic Development; State Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism (DBEDT) Energy Office; and the UH Hawaii Natural Energy Institute (HNEI).
mauismart grid
The Maui Smart Grid Project was introduced to demonstrate and evaluate new technologies that will help residents better manage and reduce energy consumption during periods of high demand. It was to assist Maui Electric Company (MECO) (now Hawaiian Electric) to operate the electricity grid more efficiently.
The U.S. Department of Energy funded this project as part of a nationwide set of demonstration projects. MECO and the Hawaii Natural Energy Institute (HNEI) at the University of Hawaii led the effort. The project team selected Maui Meadows in south Kihei as the site for evaluating home-based smart grid technologies with volunteer participants.
Results from the project was compared with other demonstration projects throughout the U.S. and also used for decision making on future smart grid initiatives in the state of Hawaii.
west maui workforce housing survey
The West Maui Workforce Housing Survey was a grassroots, community-driven survey designed to determine the need for housing in West Maui from “the bottom up” as opposed to “top down”. Input was gathered from parents, neighbors, small business owners, visitor industry staff, and more to help us inform decision makers of what the resident workforce truly needs.