Honolulu energy use up after vow to conserve more
Since city officials announced the plan in 2007, Honolulu's electricity use has climbed nearly 15 percent. It used 194.4 million kilowatt hours of electricity during the fiscal year ending in June — up from 169.3 million kilowatt hours in the 2007 fiscal year.
The city blames the jump on recent upgrades to its Sand Island Waste Water Treatment Plant that were mandated by federal and state agencies. But officials insist that overall energy consumption patterns are going in the right direction.
Meanwhile, Hawaiian Electric Co. says overall electricity use in Oahu, Maui and Hawaii counties during the first half of this year is down 5 percent.
Related News

Inside Copenhagen’s race to be the first carbon-neutral city
COPENHAGEN - “We call it hedonistic sustainability,” says Jacob Simonsen of the decision to put an artificial ski slope on the roof of the £485m Amager Resource Centre (Arc), Copenhagen’s cutting-edge new waste-to-energy power plant. “It’s not just good for the environment, it’s good for life.”
Skiing is just one of the activities that Simonsen, Arc’s chief executive, and Bjarke Ingels, its lead architect, hope will enhance the latest jewel in Copenhagen’s sustainability crown. The incinerator building also incorporates hiking and running trails, a street fitness gym and the world’s highest outdoor climbing wall, an 85-metre “natural mountain” complete with overhangs…