New Program Makes Clean Energy More Accessible & Affordable

The State of Hawai‘i took another significant step forward in meeting the state’s 100% renewable energy goal. On Monday, April 8, 2019, Gov. David Ige announced an innovative new program designed to make green energy installments such as solar water heaters and photovoltaic panels, more accessible and affordable for homeowners, renters, small businesses and nonprofit organizations. The Green Energy Money $aver (GEM$) on-bill program is the result of a collaborative effort among energy leaders from the public and private sectors. The on-bill repayment program allows electric ratepayers on O‘ahu, Hawai‘i Island, Maui, Lāna‘i and Moloka‘i to invest in green energy installments to immediately lower their utility bill and use the estimated savings to cover the costs of installation. Repayments are conveniently paid through monthly electric bills, which means there are no additional loan payments.