Support for the Hawaii Island-Type Smart Grid Demonstration Project.
- CLIMATE ACTION
Issue
Collaboration between Japan and the United States in the smart grid sector is insufficient.
At the 2009 United Nations Climate Change Summit, Japan announced its goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 25% from 1990 levels by 2020. Meanwhile, the United States promoted large-scale government support for smart grid initiatives. Both countries agreed to collaborate on energy research and development and jointly implement measures to reduce CO₂ emissions.
Approach
Proposal of the significance of the Japan-U.S. joint demonstration in Hawaii and support for project implementation.
e-solutions organized the significance of conducting demonstration experiments in Hawaii and the importance of Japan-U.S. collaboration for these experiments, and presented recommendations to the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry (METI).
Firstly, Hawaii Island encompasses 11 of the Earth’s 13 climate zones, featuring a diverse range of environments from tropical regions to alpine zones over 4,000 meters in elevation. Additionally, its varied residential conditions across islands, advanced nature conservation efforts, and abundance of endemic species highlight Hawaii as a microcosm of the Earth’s environment.
Next, by sharing and complementing Japan’s world-class grid stabilization technology and the United States’ strength in information and communication technology, it was suggested that Hawaii’s need to reduce dependence on fossil fuels could be addressed. Furthermore, using the demonstration project in Hawaii as a showcase, this approach could be expanded to cities in both Japan and the U.S., as well as other cities around the world.
Based on these proposals, we provided support for the implementation of demonstration tests on Maui Island, aimed at expanding the adoption of renewable energy through the use of EVs for grid control.