Leimana started doing Energy work over two years ago through the Kupu ʻĀina Corps program, a workforce development program that places participants in positions in the environmental sector as part of the State of Hawaiʻi’s Green Jobs Youth legislation. She has since acquired a passion for addressing the energy burden and equity issues of Molokai that she and her family have first-hand experience with. Much of her family lives on Native Hawaiian Homesteads without energy infrastructure connecting them to the grid. When her sister’s mobile home caught fire recently, Hoʻahu and the community came together to help her rebuild—including a small renewable energy system to provide energy to her family. She is now Hoʻāhu’s Outreach, Marketing, and Engagement Coordinator—focusing on bridging Hoʻāhu’s work to our community and the public at large. One fun fact about Leimana is that she has been a lifelong speaker and perpetuator of ‘Ōlelo Hawaiʻi (Native Hawaiian Language) and Hawaiian culture. She is among the first graduates of Pūnana Leo O Molokai—the first and only Hawaiian-language immersion preschool on Molokai—and is a graduate of the Hawaiian immersion programs K-12.
Molokai, Hawaii
In a bold move toward energy independence, Hoʻāhu Energy Cooperative Molokai is harnessing the power of community co-designed utility-scale and microgrid projects for the Hawaiian island of Molokai—home to some of the highest electricity rates in the State of Hawaiʻi and the nation. Hoʻāhu will break ground on a subscription-based community solar system in 2025 that will account for 20% of Molokai’s energy needs and provide cheaper sustainable energy to about 1500 subscribing households. On an island that is majority Native Hawaiian and is considered by federal agencies to be a “disadvantaged” rural community according to Western metrics, Hoʻāhu is addressing economic development and energy sovereignty through its energy workforce development programs and community-driven energy planning programs. Their goal is to ensure that the remaining 80% of Molokaiʻs energy generation will also be community-owned, designed, built, and managed. By centralizing solar arrays, training the community in energy sector jobs, and planning for the future, the Cooperative is not only lowering costs but ensuring long-term benefits stay within the community. This grassroots initiative is reshaping Molokai’s energy landscape and setting a precedent for renewable energy solutions across the nation.
Learn More: https://hoahuenergy.coop