News Release from www.Hawaii.gov/gov August 13, 2012
HONOLULU —Governor Neil Abercrombie and Secretary General Xu Hubin of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signifying the partnership to start a clean energy investment and deployment program in Hawai'i. The program will allow CCPIT to refer interested Chinese clean energy investors and developers to the Hawai'i State Energy Office in the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism (DBEDT) to facilitate the matchmaking process with clean energy project partners in Hawai'i in need of capital or development partners.
This definitive MOU follows the Letter of Intent (LOI) signed by Governor Abercrombie and Mr. Yu Ping, Vice Chairman of CCPIT, last November at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Hawai'i-China CEO Forum, “Transforming to Clean Energy.”The letter stated, “there was invoked a spirit of collaboration between China and Hawai'i on clean energy development efforts, as passionately presented by esteemed panelists from Hawai'i and China.”
“That spirit of collaboration initiated during APEC continues today with a common goal,”stated Governor Abercrombie. “Hawai'i’s expansive mix of renewable energy resources, coupled with our aggressive approach to achieve energy sufficiency, is attractingthese kinds of global partnerships for clean energy research, development and deployment.”
Today’s signing ceremony took place at the 4th Annual Asia Pacific Clean Energy Summit and Expo at the Hawai'i Convention Center. This international summit is being attended by local, national and international participants, including government, private-sector and energy industry leaders and officials from 20 countries.
“Hawai'i’s clean energy sector has catapulted over other states when it comes to the development of its clean energy industry,”said Richard Lim, director of DBEDT. “The MOU that sets our program with CCPIT will create an efficient process for foreign investors and developers to partner with clean energy companies here is Hawai'i leading to the economic growth of our State.”
Founded in 1952, CCPIT is the official trade organization for Chinese state-owned companies and has 16 Commercial Promotion offices outside China.
The Hawai'i State Energy Office has created an online form at www.energy.hawaii.gov/developer-investor where interested clean energy companies in Hawai'i can register to begin the matchmaking process with Chinese investors and developers.
Photos from today's event can be viewed here: