NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
October 14, 2010
CONTACT: Jeff Mikulina, (808) 226-4987

Blue Planet Foundation accepts 2010 Native Hawaiian Community Champion Award

Support for Homestead Energy Program helps facilitate solar hot water installations on Hawaiian homes

HONOLULU—On Thursday, Oct. 14, Blue Planet Foundation received the 2010 Native Hawaiian Community Champion Award from the Native Hawaiian Economic Alliance. The award was presented at the annual Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement (CNHA) conference at the Hawaii Convention Center. The award recognized Blue Planet's sponsorship and partnership with CNHA's Homestead Energy Program.

CNHA’s Homestead Energy Program provides loans and grants to beneficiaries of the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act at all income levels to install energy-saving, solar water heaters on their residential homestead property. To date, 54 households have integrated solar hot water systems, and another 96 installations are in progress.

During the award ceremony, CNHA CEO Robin Danner thanked Blue Planet for taking a risk on the homestead community and having faith that its members would embrace the solar water heater program.

“The Homestead Energy Program achieves its primary goal of advancing the economic self-determination for Native Hawaiians while simultaneously accelerating Hawai‘i's energy independence," said Blue Planet Foundation executive director Jeff Mikulina. "We see Hawaiian homesteads as leaders in the use of indigenous energy."

Photo (left to right): Blue Planet Foundation Program Director Gary Gill, CNHA CEO Robin Danner, Blue Planet Foundation Executive Director Jeff Mikulina

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