Pacific energy program gets funds

The Pacific International Center for High Technology Research in Honolulu has been awarded a $259,920 grant from the Japanese government for continued support of PICHTR programs throughout the Pacific.

A check presentation ceremony was held Feb. 17, 2005 at 11:30am at the residence of the Consul General of Japan.

The funds will be used to provide solar electric power to un-electrified villages in Fiji as part of the center’s Renewable Energy-based Rural Electrification initiative. The funds will also be used to continue technical training activities in support of the RERE program to ensure sustainable operations and maintenance of the installed systems.

In addition, funds will be used to continue development of a Distributed Energy Development Program and a new initiative, the Hawaii Energy Test and Evaluation Center.

To date, the government of Japan has awarded approximately $13 million to the center.

“One of the reasons we continue to fund [the center] is because its programs make a tremendous positive impact upon the lives of people in the Pacific region,” said Masatoshi Muto, Consul General of Japan. “Renewable energy is increasingly critical in today’s world and for the sustainability of future generations—and Japan is dedicated to ensuring its progress and support.”

“We are grateful to the government of Japan for their commitment to these projects,” said center chairman Governor George Ariyoshi. “Their foresight and action are promoting a better quality of life for many people in the Asia-Pacific region and providing hope for tomorrow. I am grateful for this support for so many years and in amounts reaching a million dollars in some years.”

This is the 18th annual grant awarded as a result of an agreement reached in 1985 between President Ronald Reagan and Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone, to undertake cooperative technology research and development in Hawaii that benefits Asian and Pacific countries. Past funds have been used to develop ocean thermal energy conversion and hybrid power systems, as well as for education and training programs.

The Pacific International Center for High Technology Research was originally established by the Hawaii State Legislature in 1983 in response to a proposal by the late U.S. Senator Spark M. Matsunaga for a Japan-U.S. cooperative effort to develop a high technology industry in Hawaii. In 1985, PICHTR was incorporated as an independent, non-profit corporation. Its mission is to promote educational, scientific, technological and literary pursuits through international cooperation.

The center is located in the Pacific Guardian Tower, 1440 Kapiolani Boulevard, Suite 1225, Honolulu, Hawaii 96814. The telephone number is (808) 943-9581. For additional information, visit the web site at www.pichtr.org.