Hawaiian Electric announces future departure of Executive Vice President Robbie Alm

News Release from HECO July 17, 2013

“Our company has gained so much from Robbie’s leadership in the community over the years so we understand and respect his decision to seek additional ways to contribute to our community,” said Dick Rosenblum, Hawaiian Electric president & CEO.  “While we’ll miss Robbie’s vision and counsel, his legacy will remain in our commitment to a clean energy future rooted in what’s best for our customers. And we know we can count on his continued support.”   

Alm joined Hawaiian Electric in 2001 as senior vice president of public affairs and was promoted to executive vice president in 2008. During his tenure, the company established a stronger community-oriented approach to project planning – an approach that contributed to the successful completion of such projects as the East Oahu Transmission Project, the Keahole Power Plant on Hawaii Island, and the company’s Campbell Industrial Park generating station, which is the world’s largest combustion turbine fueled entirely with renewable biodiesel. He was one of the chief architects of the company’s comprehensive energy agreement with the state as part of the Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative.  

“The time is right for this transition,” said Alm. “In 2008, we signed an energy agreement with the State of Hawaii to move our state away from oil and toward a renewable energy future. Five years later, we’ve doubled the amount of renewable energy that is meeting our customers’ needs to 18 percent. And we’re well ahead of the state’s next milestone goal of 15 percent by 2015.  

“Recently, we filed a new energy plan with the Public Utilities Commission. The PUC must still review those plans, and there is more work to come. But we’ve set a course to provide even more low-cost clean energy to our customers. I have full confidence in our next generation of leaders to take our plans to the next level. And I will always be willing to help in any way I can.   

“I can’t say enough about the employees at Hawaiian Electric. The best part of this job has been being part of an organization of people who demonstrate every day how much they truly care about their responsibilities to our community.

“Like most of us, there are things in my family and personal life that I haven’t spent enough time on. So I plan to spend the next few months focusing on those things, while still continuing to support various community organizations. And then we’ll see what challenges lie ahead.”

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PBN:  Robbie Alm leaving Hawaiian Electric Co.