LIHU‘E — County officials announced Wednesday that Ben Sullivan has been selected as the county’s new energy coordinator and Public Works employee Brian Inouye’s position has been upgraded to building manager with his duties to include energy-related projects. Sullivan’s selection,
LIHU‘E — County officials announced Wednesday that Ben Sullivan has been selected as the county’s new energy coordinator and Public Works employee Brian Inouye’s position has been upgraded to building manager with his duties to include energy-related projects.
Sullivan’s selection, along with Inouye’s recent position upgrade, rounds out the staffing requirements laid out in the Kaua‘i Energy Sustainability Plan, which was initiated by Council Chair Jay Furfaro and Vice Chair JoAnn Yukimura, a county news release states.
Leading the county sustainability team’s efforts will be Sustainability Manager Glenn Sato, who was promoted in September from his long-time position of energy coordinator.
“We have assembled a great team that is very capable of fulfilling the goals and objectives in the Kaua‘i Energy Sustainability Plan. I am very excited about what lies ahead as we continue to strive towards a sustainable future and a community that is energy efficient,” said Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr.
For the last three years, Sullivan has served as a director on the Kaua‘i Island Utility Cooperative Board, including two years as the chair of the Strategic Planning Committee. He will resign from his board post as of Jan. 1 in order to give his full attention to his new job with the county, the release states.
As energy coordinator, Sullivan’s overall responsibility will be to plan, develop, implement and monitor programs that are designed to help the county improve its energy efficiency and reduce energy consumption.
Part of his time will be spent: developing innovative strategies for reaching set goals; researching and writing grant applications to secure funding for the Office of Economic Development or other county agencies; tracking legislation, filings and applications before Congress, the state Legislature, County Council, and the state Public Utilities Commission, and preparing position papers and testimony on behalf of the county; along with several other duties, the release states.
Sullivan became involved in Kaua‘i’s renewable energy efforts in 2005 when he co-founded Apollo Kaua‘i, a community group that advocates for an aggressive transition to clean energy on the island.
He has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Colorado’s College of Architecture and Planning, and has worked for almost two decades in the field of architecture.
Sullivan has also worked part-time for the local non-profit Malama Kaua‘i and is involved in numerous community projects around the island, the release states.
Inouye, who has been with the county’s Building Division for 30 years, will work closely with Sullivan and Sato on energy efficiency and sustainability initiatives in addition to the repair and maintenance projects that he oversees.
