The 5th Annual Asia Pacific Clean Energy Summit and Expo (APCESE) takes place September 9-11, running concurrently with the Islands & Isolated Communities Congress and International OTEC Symposium. All three gatherings will address the central theme of how government, business, technology, and innovative forward thinking can collaborate to ensure a secure energy future for people globally, especially those living in isolated areas.
Now in its fifth year, the Summit has undergone a remarkable transformation from a conference that was initially created to support Hawai`i companies working in clean energy, to one that is now attended predominately by companies and leaders from international markets, especially Asia and the Pacific Rim. Event organizers say nearly 90 percent of this year’s exhibitors are from outside Hawai`i.
The Summit will feature a range of notable local, national, and international guest speakers reflecting the importance of its global focus, including:
- Governor Neil Abercrombie, State of Hawai`i
- Henk Rogers, Founder and Chairman, Blue Planet Foundation
- Peter Boyd, Chief Operating Officer, Carbon War Room
- Tomoyo Nonaka, Chair, GAIA Initiative
- Thomas Hicks, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy, U.S. Navy
Anticipated to generate buzz among Summit attendees is the Shizuoka, Japan delegation. Among Shizuoka’s exhibit highlights will be one of the world’s fastest electric cars and its driver, ‘Monster’ Tajima, who just nine weeks ago won the Electric Division of the 91st Pikes Peak International Hill Climb in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Tajima’s car goes 200 kilometers per hour – without making a sound – except for the tires contacting the road.
Hawai`i’s visitor industry will benefit from APCESE with the 1,200 attendees projected to generate $5 million in visitor spending and $487,000 in state tax revenue.
For more information about the APCESE, please visit www.islandsconnect.com.
