 So what are the magic words here? Melissa, Mia, Shiro and Blue Planet Foundation. Those are the magic words here on Think Tech in the three o'clock block on a given Wednesday. And you can see her. There she is. Melissa, welcome to the show. Thank you so much. It's a pleasure to be here. I always enjoy our chats and our conversations day. Yeah, the same, the same, the same. So, you know, you've been elevated. You're the executive director of Blue Planet Foundation. The first order of business is a big congratulations to you. You're, you're, you know, it's confirmed now. You're a major player in energy and, you know, non-profit elemosinary energy. So good for you, Melissa. How do you feel about it? I feel really excited. It's great. I love the organization. I've been fortunate enough to be with Blue Planet since 2014. So I've got a great head start with the team and being really familiar with the energy landscape in Hawaii and also the work that we're doing at Blue Planet Foundation. So it feels just really exciting. And I'm, I'm looking forward to the road ahead. Yeah, okay. We're going to examine that with you today. But first, what is Blue Planet Foundation? What's its history? What's its mission? What are its current activities? Yeah, great, great question. And it's also interesting because many people get us confused because there are so many Blue Planets out, out there, right? There's other entities, there's a battery business, there's a surf shop. So Blue Planet Foundation is a 501c3 non-profit. We were started 13 years ago right here in Honolulu and remain in, in Honolulu and offer programming statewide. And our focus is really on clearing the path for clean energy. So identifying what the barriers are, are standing in our way to get to that future. And then we work from a system standpoint to remove those barriers. A big piece of our work is in the policy space. So many people know us as strong policy advocates for various climate policies. We championed the 100% renewable energy law that was the first in the nation. And then over the years, we've also become known for our storytelling work. So we believe in the power of narrative and telling stories and using that to change the way people think about something like energy or think about the climate challenge. Give me a story with you, Melissa. Any story we'll do? Yeah, any story. We have, we have so many and we really love to tell stories. So one of the initiatives I'm really excited about is our We Are 100 initiative. So this, we're actually gathering stories from individuals and businesses from across the country, or sorry, across the states. Eventually, it'd be great to build those stories internationally. We can talk a little bit about, you know, how I see that evolving in my new role at Blue Planet Foundation. But we started with local stories. And what we wanted to do with those stories is convey to the public that this journey to 100% clean energy, it's not just something that the utility worries about. It's something that includes all of us. And it's not just about lights, it's about transportation. So one of my favorite stories is this woman, Julie, who lives in Ebba Beach, and she's been a bus rider for 30 years. So she works in Waikiki and through the We Are 100 campaign and also our empowered TV series that we have going on right now. We tell stories like that shows. So she talks about, you know, waking up early to get on the bus and the friends that she makes while riding the bus and how she feels good about minimizing her carbon footprint by taking the bus. Okay. Yeah. I know some of them myself. I know some of the stories that you have told. So, you know, let's take a look at your website. We have your website ready to look at. And so maybe you could sort of step us through it. That would be the homepage, but there's so much more. It's so well written and it's really beautiful. Great. Thank you. Yeah. And doing work in Hawaii, we're lucky to be blessed with that beautiful imagery. And we really wanted to show through the website just how special this place is and how important it is that we protect it for future generation and that we really see our beautiful island home as the epicenter for global climate solutions. So you'll see our beautiful island home sprinkled throughout the website. And that's really, you know, that's our center of gravity. And that's what we're doing. Okay. Step us through it now. Michael is going to take us wherever you want to go on this website. Yeah. So, when folks go to the homepage at BluePlanetFoundation.org and just kind of scroll through, that's a good place to kind of get a feel for the type of work that we do. We have this fun clicker to just give you a sense of continuing this importing fossil fuels and this challenge is something that's ongoing even as we're speaking, right? We are impacting the climate. So we just wanted to offer kind of a fun visual there. And then the next section as you scroll down is really an overview of the types of work that we do as a nonprofit. So I mentioned our policy work. We also do a lot of work in communities related to energy efficiency. Energy efficiency is something that's often left out of the conversation about clean energy. People don't fully grasp what a central role it plays in helping us to get to a clean energy future. And then we also do work with Hawaii Youth. And that area of our programming has really grown over the last few years and it's going to continue to grow in the future. So we're in classrooms educating students about clean energy, climate, energy efficiency, clean transportation, learning from them as well what they hope to see in the future. And then clean transportation. This has also been an area of program growth for Blue Planet as the electricity sector is making good progress on decarbonization. We have a long way to go on transportation, so it's more of a focus. Yeah, there's more. This is just a fun link to our platform called IslandFolk. So this is specific to the island of Oahu, but something we actually partnered with Hawaiian Electric on. It is a real-time energy tracker letting people know how much energy we're using on the island of Oahu and how much of it is coming from fossil fuels or clean energy sources. So we just include that there. So people want to have feedback, right? It's often this idea of climate, clean energy can be a little bit abstract. So we wanted to take it out of abstraction and make it real for folks. And then I think if you scroll down some links to more of our impact and all the way at the bottom, we have links to some of our video work. So I mentioned that we're storytellers. We love to share stories of community members and then also use the power of video to tell new stories about climate change and how it's that we're all part of this journey. So just some links to some fun video projects that we've done over the years. Nice. Beautiful website. So who funds you? You're a foundation. You're a 501c3, I guess for educational purposes. Are you a private foundation or public foundation? And who's the bulk of your funding? Yeah, despite having foundation in our name, we're not a private foundation or a granting foundation. So that can lead to all kinds of brand confusion. So we are a public charity. So a majority of our funding comes from donations and also grants. People may recognize our founder Hank Rogers. So he founded the organization. He's a well-known and well-respected visionary in the community. So he launched the foundation and it was always his vision for us to grow up and be independent. And that's where we are right now. So 80% of our operating budget comes from non-founder sources. So we raise that funding through grant programs. We have some partnerships with organizations like White Energy. And then we also receive donations from community members, from businesses that are concerned about climate, that are excited about using the lever of policy and storytelling to contribute to this solution. Yeah, you've mentioned what? Kowloon Electric and Hawaii Energy. Those are clearly important affiliations. Are there any others that fit in the affiliation category? There must be some. Yeah, and we're always exploring new partnerships. And I think that the energy landscape has changed so much. So we're always thinking about and open to having conversations with new partners. Another key partner that comes to mind is Clearway. So they're a renewable energy project developer. And we've partnered with them on some of our youth engagement activities. So they support our work in going out to communities and talking about clean energy, listening to students and what they think about these projects and how they potentially can develop career pathways in this arena. We're also looking at partnerships with Labor Union, so IBEW. It's someone that we've been talking to and once a partner on programming. And then we also have a recent partnership with Castle Foundation. So funding work in the climate education space, also thinking about this idea of storytelling and really analyzing the power of messages and also messengers. So who are the messengers that are really going to inspire all of us to be part of the clean energy future? I'm impressed with your outreach. It has always been thus with Blue Planet Foundation, as I recall. You do a lot of outreach to reach people. But if I asked you when you reach out and you touch people, especially those kids out there who are the next generation, what is your message to them? What are you trying to inculcate in their understanding of the world to come? Yeah, so we definitely try to provide educational resources that educate on climate science, on renewable energy technology. But a large piece of it is really on empowering them. So we have conversations with them and offer programming that helps them engage specifically with civic engagement, so getting them involved in the policy-making process and really helping them to see that we're not only grooming future leaders, but they are already leaders in this conversation. And they're the ones that are inheriting the consequences of the choices we're making today. So they have a lot of power and have an opportunity to tell business leaders, to tell lawmakers that this is the future that they want to see. So we offer those kind of advocacy tools, information about the climate science. So they have that grounding when they're speaking to their peers, the lawmakers, etc. Yeah, you got to spread the word. I remember going to a Blue Planet program, it was at St. Anthony's Church, and it was a reused, recycled, it was a play that Blue Planet funded. And it was a bunch of elementary school kids that came from all over the island. And it was a musical. And I remember how impressed I was that at the end, and these were professional actors and singers. And it was a good play. I enjoyed watching it. But at the end of it, they all walked out these elementary school-aged kids singing the song that had been sung during the play. And I said, they're taking that home. And they're not only taking that home, they're taking the whole thing about reused, recycled, and other words. And I said to myself, this is the way you change the future by influencing the kids and having them sing the song and bring the message home. That's got to be part of your thinking. Well, I know it was for that event years ago, but it's got to be part of your thinking now. Yeah, yeah, that's exactly right. And all of that content brilliance credit goes to the Honolulu Theater for Youth. So they had this idea of, let's do this play for kids about clean energy. And just, it was a fantastic show. And I remember us going as a Blue Planet team and sitting in the back row, you know, the kids got the front row seat, but we were in the back row and they were, you know, singing along just as you said, it was pretty magical. So that's precisely the type of programming and experience we want you to have. And in recent years, we've been doing really focused work with high school students, because they're really in a unique moment where they're... You know, they're the same kids. You're the same kids. That's an excellent point. Yeah, they are the same kids. Now they're ready to influence policy. Well, let's talk about policy. So the policy is so important. And indeed, I'll say that the government needs our advice. They need our help on shaping policy, because the truth is that energy has so many things in our world are very complex. Energy points, issues are very complex. And you really have to understand a lot in order to fashion policy. And you guys do policy. And I like to know the four corners of your policy efforts, what you're supporting these days, where you want to take it, and how you're reaching the policy quote makers that we have in state government and county government here. Yeah, there's always more work to do on policy. It's certainly, as you were describing, it's a powerful lever for driving this larger systems change that we're seeking, right? Because we're working on a really daunting challenge. And individual behaviors are going to help us get to that future, but it's not the whole picture. And we really need these larger systems changes to help us get there. So Hawaii has some really great goals and targets in place, and even mandates for getting to 100% renewable energy. So there's a strong framework in place. I'd say recently, a lot of our policy work has shifted to focus more on the implementation. I mentioned at the beginning how we see our mission is really clearing the path to that 100% clean energy future. So there are all kinds of additional policy barriers that pop up as we're moving towards that path. And one area, I've mentioned it before, and it's worth repeating, one area that we're really focused on now is decarbonizing our transportation sector. So that's one area that Hawaii, it feels like we are a little bit behind from other places like California. We have, you know, more electric vehicles on our road. I think we're near 17, 17,000. So we've seen steady progress, but not nearly kind of the curve that we need to see. And then similarly, things like charging infrastructure, particularly for those that don't and can't afford to live in a single family home, the plug in their EV when they get home or during the day when the sun is shining and they're using solar. So thinking about those solutions, we have to expand the way that we're thinking about solutions so that we're including more residents in that future. Well, you know, years ago, we did have a tax credit for electric vehicles, and then it somehow went away. And of course, the government could incentivize cars, but also charging stations, it could, you know, give tax breaks for charging stations, it could build the charging stations, it could incentivize companies to be formed to make the charging state, to build the charging stations as a profit, you know, operation. And clearly, you know, what are your favorite things, your favorite incentives, if you will, try to get the legislature to, you know, change the, change the system to incentivize the community to buy more cars, to build more charging stations and the like. What are the ways that that can be done? And what are you advocating? Yeah, yeah, picking my favorite incentive, that's a tough one, but I'll try. So there is actually a really great bill that passed this past session. It was introduced by Chair Bowen, who chairs the Energy, the House Energy and Environmental Protection Committee. So this was adding additional funding and additional legs to this, this great rebate program that we already have in place. It's not too old, it was first established in 2019, but it is a rebate that's offered for installing electric vehicle charging infrastructure. And it's really aimed at, you know, not at the single family homes, but it's that public and that community charging network. And then also for apartment buildings, so that, you know, people that live in apartment buildings have a little bit more confidence when they are going to buy a new vehicle and they can just have that confidence that an electric vehicle can work in within their lifestyle. So that program, there's additional funding, it's actually funded through a portion of our existing barrel tax. So it's not, kind of a, something that was additional, it was just kind of a reallocation of funding that is already coming in. So it makes sense to be, you know, paying for these things with our carbon pollution tax, essentially that's coming in. Yes, it should be. Yes, the way the barrel tax should go to things like that. That was the original intention on it. Not the general fund, but things that will, you know, provide a fossil free future for sure. And I guess when you say rebate, you mean that if I put in a charging station in my condo, for example, and it cost me, I don't know, a couple thousand dollars, the rebate would be a rebate of part of what I have spent. Is that what it is? Yeah, that's right. And this program is administered by Hawaii Energy, which is a great partner for this program because they have so much experience with managing rebate programs. So they have that set up in place. And then there's different, different tiers for their rebates. So there's a, for, you know, upgrading, if you want to upgrade to a different type of charger, that's available. And also just for the installation of charging. So what's the next step? What's the next step, Melissa? The next step. Yeah, I mean, we have to, we have no time to waste, you know, 2040 or 45, they're right on the horizon. And electric cars, transportation is very important because that's, you know, billions of dollars of fossil fuel being used every year in Hawaii. So what else can we do? Yeah, something that we've been looking at is really like we have a goal on the electricity side for 100% renewable electricity. We need something similar on the transportation side. So that's what we're looking at. A number of states have been looking at legislation to essentially phase out the sale of gasoline powered vehicles. So that's something that we're looking at here. A number of, you know, countries across the world have made a similar commitment. We do, from last legislative session, a bill was passed to set a goal for state-owned fleets to transition to zero emission vehicles. But from Blue Planet's perspective, we need to set that goal economy-wide because transportation is such a big piece of our emissions locally. We see that as the next important step in addition and in parallel to really building out that charging network that can provide more people with access to charging, it can eventually support the electrical grid in this clean transportation feature. So that's where we think we need to go. Got resistance on these things? Yeah, there's always resistance. This is a big transition. One of the bright spots is that manufacturers across the globe, auto manufacturers, are committing to transition their entire production to electric vehicles. So they're really banking on this electric vehicle feature. And so now it's making sure that we put the right pillars in place to not just kind of let the market decide where things go because often that's when people get left behind, we're not thinking about vulnerable populations or people that maybe don't have access, like we were talking about that, having access to charging at home. So we need to make sure that we're building a system that works for everybody. Absolutely. Democracy is really important for so many reasons, including the social compact, the belief, the confidence in government, the confidence in the community. We have an issue about that on the mainland, not so much Hawaii, but we have to make sure everybody feels confident. So I want to ask you about the general initiative of clean energy. A few years ago, it was all the rage. And the general notion was we need to have a diversified portfolio of everything we can get our hands on, everything that generates clean energy from the natural resources around us. Let's do it. I wouldn't say that's the case now. I would say it's largely solar. There's a little wind, but the wind is more historical than going forward. And of course, there's geothermal, which is struggling in the Big Island in a couple of ways. But I can't think of too many other sources of clean energy that are promising for the future. I mean, aside from those, and especially solar energy. So in a sense, the great energy behind energy, community of energy, pushing clean energy seems to be less enthusiastic or less organized these days. And I wanted your reaction on that. That's really interesting. I think it's a combination of things. There are definitely kind of new players in the conversation. So I think before, and even when Blue Planet was founded, we were the only kind of clean energy nonprofit. And it's really, in some ways, maybe not as focused of a conversation. And there's not kind of that channeled energy by a maybe smaller group of really strong advocates. And at least from my perspective feels kind of more spread out in conversations across different industries. So as we have this goal for 100% clean energy, we're in the process of figuring out what's the optimal way to get there. And now there are new conversations we're having and kind of new puzzles that we're trying to figure out. So I think it's more, maybe the energy is more kind of dispersed across conversations. And that's something that as I am stepping into the Executive Director role of Blue Planet Foundation, I'm also really curious about from an organizational perspective. So Blue Planet has been doing incredible work over the last 13 years. Now it's a new conversation, a new energy landscape. How can we evaluate our programs and our impact to really focus on a new area and rethink about where we need to go and where we can add value as a nonprofit in this space? Well put. So what I want to ask is, given all of that, even the fact that you've been with Blue Planet Foundation for a while on various capacities, your last capacity is what? Chief of Staff, as I recall. So before being coming Executive Director, you have seen this all evolve over really what amounts to a decade, maybe even kind of generation. I hate to use these energy words, a generation of energy, clean energy development in Hawaii. And here you are, a hand of the keys to the kingdom, if you will, of a senior and very important organization in the energy landscape, the clean energy landscape, with the power, the credibility to speak volumes, to speak the power. And here you are. And here we are. And my last big question to you, Melissa, is what are you bringing to the table in new ideas, new directions, new concepts? Your administration, what is it going to be like? Yeah, I guess continuing to bring, and it's just in more sharpened focus, the sense of urgency. This really is the time. The alarm is sounding louder and louder climate. We're reminded of that as world leaders get together next week at COP26. So I'm really thinking about this is the time. The clock is ticking. We really need to focus and be strategic about where we can make the most impact in the time that we have. I'm also a lawyer by training. And I'm really proud of my ability and willingness and appreciation for collaboration. So I'm excited to have new conversations. I'm excited to bring more people into the conversation about climate and clean energy. And that's what's really driving me in this new role. Conversations, like conversations here with us. That's right. I hope I hope we have those conversations. And I hope you hope so too. Yes, I always enjoy them and happy to, always happy to talk story. Thank you. Melissa Miyashiro, the relatively new executive director of Blue Planet Foundation for a new time, a new generation, new challenges in energy and clean energy in Hawaii. Thank you so much. Thank you, Jay. It was a pleasure. Same here. Aloha.