Wednesday, November 13, 2024
Hawai'i Free Press

Current Articles | Archives

Thursday, January 4, 2018
Auditors couldn't figure out what this state office does — or plans to do
By Hawaii State Auditor @ 2:16 AM :: 7428 Views :: Energy, Hawaii State Government

Audit of the Hawai‘i State Energy Office

A Report to the Governor and the Legislature of the State of Hawai‘i

Hawaii State Auditor, Report No. 18-01, January, 2018

Auditor’s Summary

IN REPORT NO. 18-01, Audit of the Hawai‘i State Energy Office, we found that the Energy Office needs to better define its mission, role, and priorities within the State’s energy independence effort. For instance, the Energy Office could not provide us with documentation that clearly articulates its projects’ expected contributions to these goals, let alone the data that supports such accomplishments. We also found that the Energy Office’s strategic plan includes goals and targets that are unrealistic and may be impossible to achieve. Reporting on its more achievable strategic goals, such as “photovoltaic capacity per capita,” has been inconsistent.

Why did these problems occur? Federal stimulus funding through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and ambitious State clean energy goals energized the Energy Office, nearly doubling its staff from 20 in 2009 to 35 in 2012. These also helped remake the office from an organization whose major functions included outreach, information dissemination, and training to one that could pursue a wide variety of clean energy initiatives, including environmental studies, grid improvements, permitting facilitation, and support of alternative vehicles. However, the stimulus funding expired in 2012, and while the Energy Office has made some staffing adjustments, they have not been nearly enough.

Why do these problems matter? The Energy Office’s personnel costs now account for more than 90 percent of the office’s expenses. In FY2016, the Energy Office’s expenses exceeded its revenue by nearly $600,000 — decreasing the Energy Security Special Fund balance to $2.2 million. At its current rate of spending, the Energy Office is expected to substantially deplete the fund by FY2019. The Energy Office needs to better define its mission, role, and priorities in the State’s energy independence effort, and together with the governor and the Legislature determine if the State can afford to pay for this effort.

Lights Out?: Audit of the Hawai‘i State Energy Office…

In our audit, we encountered an organization at a crossroads: The Energy Office no longer has the funding to continue its current level of operations, it cannot clearly articulate how its efforts have contributed to its stated mandate, and it has no plans for aligning and re-sizing operations to match its broad responsibilities and current fiscal realities. …

Summary of Findings

1. The Energy Office’s specific contributions to advancing the State’s clean energy initiatives are unclear. It could not provide us with any documentation or other evidence to show a project’s expected contributions to the State’s clean energy goals, let alone the data that indicates the project’s progress toward those goals.

2. The Energy Office’s strategic plan was developed and adopted in 2012, after the office had rapidly expanded operations and while it was expending a significant but temporary infusion of Federal moneys. The plan and its 2014 and 2016 updates include goals and targets that are unrealistic and may be impossible to achieve.

3. An imminent financial shortfall will significantly impact the Energy Office operations. In FY2016, its expenses exceeded its revenue by nearly $600,000 – decreasing the Energy Security Special Fund balance to $2.2 million. At its current rate of spending, the Energy Office is expected to substantially deplete the fund by FY2019….

read … Full Report 

IM:  

SA:  State Auditor’s report blasts energy office 

SA: Time for state Energy Office to justify worth

PBN: State audit questions purpose of Hawaii State Energy Office

Links

TEXT "follow HawaiiFreePress" to 40404

Register to Vote

2aHawaii

Aloha Pregnancy Care Center

AntiPlanner

Antonio Gramsci Reading List

A Place for Women in Waipio

Ballotpedia Hawaii

Broken Trust

Build More Hawaiian Homes Working Group

Christian Homeschoolers of Hawaii

Cliff Slater's Second Opinion

DVids Hawaii

FIRE

Fix Oahu!

Frontline: The Fixers

Genetic Literacy Project

Grassroot Institute

Habele.org

Hawaii Aquarium Fish Report

Hawaii Aviation Preservation Society

Hawaii Catholic TV

Hawaii Christian Coalition

Hawaii Cigar Association

Hawaii ConCon Info

Hawaii Debt Clock

Hawaii Defense Foundation

Hawaii Family Forum

Hawaii Farmers and Ranchers United

Hawaii Farmer's Daughter

Hawaii Federation of Republican Women

Hawaii History Blog

Hawaii Jihadi Trial

Hawaii Legal News

Hawaii Legal Short-Term Rental Alliance

Hawaii Matters

Hawaii Military History

Hawaii's Partnership for Appropriate & Compassionate Care

Hawaii Public Charter School Network

Hawaii Rifle Association

Hawaii Shippers Council

Hawaii Together

HiFiCo

Hiram Fong Papers

Homeschool Legal Defense Hawaii

Honolulu Navy League

Honolulu Traffic

House Minority Blog

Imua TMT

Inouye-Kwock, NYT 1992

Inside the Nature Conservancy

Inverse Condemnation

July 4 in Hawaii

Land and Power in Hawaii

Lessons in Firearm Education

Lingle Years

Managed Care Matters -- Hawaii

MentalIllnessPolicy.org

Missile Defense Advocacy

MIS Veterans Hawaii

NAMI Hawaii

Natatorium.org

National Parents Org Hawaii

NFIB Hawaii News

NRA-ILA Hawaii

Obookiah

OHA Lies

Opt Out Today

Patients Rights Council Hawaii

Practical Policy Institute of Hawaii

Pritchett Cartoons

Pro-GMO Hawaii

RailRipoff.com

Rental by Owner Awareness Assn

Research Institute for Hawaii USA

Rick Hamada Show

RJ Rummel

School Choice in Hawaii

SenatorFong.com

Talking Tax

Tax Foundation of Hawaii

The Real Hanabusa

Time Out Honolulu

Trustee Akina KWO Columns

Waagey.org

West Maui Taxpayers Association

What Natalie Thinks

Whole Life Hawaii