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TheBuzz Erika Engle |
CRAIG T. KOJIMA / CKOJIMA@STARBULLETIN.COM
An "Ulalena" performer entertained during the opening of the Edison Electric Institute convention yesterday at Hilton Hawaiian Village.
Power people
plug into WaikikiColorful drama and a direct current of one-liners zapped the Edison Electric Institute annual convention to life yesterday. EEI is a Washington, D.C.-based association of publicly owned utilities and the Hawaii convention marks the first time the event has ventured away from the mainland.
Attendees were treated to visual caffeine first thing in the morning through an abridged performance of Maui's "Ulalena" show in the Hilton Hawaiian Village's Coral Ballroom.
Actor and former U.S. Sen. Fred Thompson was invited to provide an insider's view of Washington, which he started by saying that after 8 years in Washington he "longed for the sincerity and realism of Hollywood."
EEI Chairman Errol Davis spoke about restoring public and investor confidence in the wake of high-profile scandals in the energy industry and offered the summation, "Is there life after Enron? A very hearty yes."
He also patted the industry's back a bit for its lobbying to change tax laws relating to dividend payments.
Under the old law companies paid out dividends in after-tax dollars and dividend recipients would then be taxed on the dividends. It was double taxation, said T. Michael May, president and chief executive officer of Hawaiian Electric Co.
"Now the tax on dividends has been reduced to a max of 15 percent," he said.
The convention allows member utilities to share information on common issues. "Anything that relates to tax law, things that would provide confidence and investor interest in the industry, certainly connects back to Hawaii," May said.
The industry has also become hip to the necessity of gauging community sentiment before siting power plants and lines, such as with HECO's current proposal for East Oahu.
"We're trying to do a better job of getting community input on projects which are like that," he said. The company will participate in a series of public forums with neighborhood boards and community action committees.
Deputy U.S. Secretary of Energy Kyle McSlarrow was to lead the afternoon general session while the expo drew gawkers looking for the latest and hottest products and services.
Exhibitors included renewable energy suppliers, software developers and "state of the art technology in everything from transmission infrastructure components to engineering firms that do major contracting work," May said.
"Ulalena" drew raves. May got chicken-skin hearing people say it was "the best opening event they've had in any show they've ever been to."
HECO has known it would be hosting the convention since 1997, when May used guerrilla tactics to win the honor.
"It's quite a competition (to be chosen as host utility)," he said.
May is on the board of EEI with executives from "huge, coast-to-coast-type utilities and here we are, a small utility in the middle of the Pacific."
May didn't think he had much leverage.
In comes the dirty pool. Gift packages were prepared with Hawaiian goodies such as guava jam, macadamia nuts and a video travelogue narrated by then-first lady Vicky Cayetano. The packages were sent to his board colleagues' wives and Hawaii was selected by the highest vote margin of any previous host location, May said.
In addition to the direct benefit to the economy, many attendees will extend their visits beyond the two-day convention.
So will HECO's rate-payers be seeing an increase in monthly bills due to the expense of hosting? "Oh no, no, no," May said. "I want to reassure you of that."
See the Columnists section for some past articles.
Erika Engle is a reporter with the Star-Bulletin.
Call 529-4302, fax 529-4750 or write to Erika Engle,
Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., No. 7-210,
Honolulu, HI 96813. She can also be reached
at: eengle@starbulletin.com
