Public Transport Systems and Infrastructure Solutions to Reduce Fossil Fuel Dependence on Hawaii Island (2014)

Contact full name: 
Elizabeth Cole, Ed.D
Additional Faculty Advisor(s) and Department(s): 
John DeCicco
Project Status: 
Project in Progress
Year project was Completed: 
2014
Client Organization: 
The Kohala Center
Client Website: 
The Kohala Center
Client is confirmed: 
yes
SNRE Faculty Advisor: 
Jeremiah Johnson
Advisor Confirmed: 
yes
Additional Faculty Advisor(s) Confirmed: 
yes
Master Students Involved in Project: 
  • Jonas Epstein, MS Environmental Policy and Planning 
  • Maite Madrazo, MBA/MS Sustainable Systems
  • Trevor McManamon, MS Sustainable Systems
  • Daphne Medina, MBA/MS Environmental Policy and Planning
  • Xiaofei Wen, MS Environmental Informatics
City: 
Kamuela
Contact Phone: 
808.887.6411
State or Country: 
Hawaii
Contact e-mail: 
cole@kohalacenter.org
Contact information: 
I am a staff member of a potential client organization
Other
If Other: 
SNRE Student Contact: Maite Madrazo; Email: mmadrazo@umich.edu
Job title: 
Deputy Director
Project Location : 
Kamuela, Hawai'i Island, HI
Summary of Project Idea: 

The Kohala Center, an independent, community-based institute for research, education, and conservation based on Hawaii Island, has just completed a plan for the County of Hawaii Energy Sustainability Program Five Year Roadmap http://www.hawaiienergyplan.com.   Among its findings are:

  • Overall, 95 percent of the island's total energy needs are met with imported petroleum fuels.
  • In 2011, Hawai'i Island produced more electricity from renewable sources - 37 percent - than any other island in the state. However, electricity consumption represents a small fraction (15 percent) of the island's overall energy use.
  • More than half (52 percent) of all energy consumed on the island is used in the transportation sector. About 24 percent of the island's energy supply is lost during conventional electricity generation, transmission, and distribution.
  • Other petroleum-based fuels for residential, agricultural, and commercial/industrial applications account for the remaining nine percent of energy supply.
  • Hawai'i Island possesses abundant - yet untapped - solar, wind, geothermal, hydroelectric, and bioenergy resources. Collectively, these renewable energy resources far exceed the island's total energy needs. The technologies required to harness these resources are commercially available today and, in most cases, the cost of deploying these technologies is below the current cost of petroleum-based energy production.

To date a great deal of Hawaii Island energy analysis has been focused on the electricity sector because the island has one of the highest electricity rates in the US (approximately $.40/kwh for residential users) and a regulated monopoly utility.  As noted above, however, there are existing resources and technologies to reduce electricity costs while reducing the island's dependence on imported fossil fuels for electricity generation. 

Analysis of the ground transport sector has been sorely neglected because the island has invested virtually all of its public capital on roadway infrastructure for private vehicles and because solutions to reducing dependence on transport fuels involve collaboration of many disparate public and private entities. 

One of the key recommendations of the Energy Sustainability Program Roadmap is to create a comprehensive mass transit strategic plan for the island to increase ridership and to introduce modern transit management technologies.  Another part of a transport analysis would be to examine the social organization of travel and island infrastructure modifications that could result in lower VMT. 

KohThe Kohala Center is interested in the University of Michigan School of Natural Resources and Environment's strength in the area of transportation planning and would like to engage graduate students to research and recommend potential public and private investment opportunities in transport improvements to reduce island dependence on imported fuels and facilitate transition to a sustainable transportation system.

Skills/Expertise Needed: 

Analytical/critical thinking

Project planning and organizational skills

Ability to work in a multicultural setting

Knowledge of:

  • Systems and Industrial Ecological Analysis
  • Transport management technologies
  • Land and transport planning
  • Financial analysis of public and private ventures
SNRE Program Areas: 
Environmental Policy and Planning
Behavior, Education, and Communication
Environmental Informatics
Sustainable Systems
Landscape Architecture
Professional Career Development Benefits: 

This project would provide students with the opportunity to work at an island system level with the opportunity to create a plan that could be adopted by County government and be a model for other rural Hawaiian islands.  There would be access to key government and private sector decision-makers in Hawaii and the opportunity to learn how to practice research and consulting skills in an interesting physical, social, and political environment.  There would be opportunities to present at the annual state-wide professional planners conference.

Funding Sources: 

At this point The Kohala Center has no confirmed funding for the project.  Preliminary work completed by the project team could lead to a proposal for funding to the County of Hawaii, local private funders, and/or federal programs for transport planning.

Identify expected products/deliverables: 

A report for The Kohala Center to present to the County of Hawaii Department of Public Works with recommendations as to how to improve and modify its operations to serve public transportation needs and reduce island dependence on imported fossil fuels.