Forming a Community-Owned Energy Cooperative

Shake Energy Collaborative News Release

On Saturday, Aug. 22, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., we will host a virtual public meeting to share information and gather input on the formation of a cooperative to design and own renewable energy projects on Molokai. This meeting will be hosted by Shake Energy Collaborative, a public benefit corporation based in California, and follows in a series of community workshops hosted on Molokai about Community-Based Renewable Energy (CBRE). At these workshops, community residents expressed the desire for CBRE projects to be owned and managed locally by a cooperative entity. This meeting will launch the effort to formalize this energy cooperative.

At this meeting, we will:
■ Learn from a representative from the Kohala Center about the process to formalize a cooperative including bylaws, steering committee and incorporation
■ Understand the role of a steering committee member and recruit individuals interested in joining the steering committee for the energy coop
■ Discuss a short list of potential sites for locating solar and battery storage projects
■ Discuss the process for vetting and selecting potential development and installation partners

Forming this cooperative is the first step in developing renewable energy projects that can be owned and managed locally. We aim to start by co-designing one or more solar and battery storage projects intended to be submitted to Hawaiian Electricʻs Request for Proposals (RFP) for Phase II CBRE projects on Molokai. This RFP is expected to close in December 2020. You can find more information about CBRE on Hawaiian Electricʻs website — hawaiianelectric.com/products-and-services/customer-renewable-programs/community-solar.

The two-hour long virtual workshop is open to the general public and we welcome both past workshop participants and folks who may be hearing about this effort for the first time. Anyone interested in attending should contact Ali Andrews, CEO of Shake Energy Collaborative, at ali@shake-energy.com or by phone at (206)321-1808. If you are a new participant, feel free to reach out ahead soon I can catch you up so you can jump in with both feet.

Shake Energy Collaborative is a woman-owned, public benefits corporation energy development start-up based in Fresno, California. For more information about the company, visit us at shake-energy.com.