Challenge:

Elemental Excelerator commissioned a study, Transcending Oil, to analyze the state’s progress over the last 10 years since the Hawaiʻi Clean Energy Initiative was established as well as to forecast the state’s path to its clean energy future, examining the pathway necessary to reach the state’s commitment to 100% clean energy by 2045. When the report was released in April, coinciding with Earth Day 2018, there were low political motivation to address information provided by the study, a lack of financial incentives and consequences for businesses to commit to clean energy solutions and insufficient policies inhibiting consumer adoption of clean energy lifestyles. To release the report. Elemental Excelerator and partner Emerson Collective hosted the first-ever Earth Day Energy Summit at the governor’s mansion that featured internationally-renowned speakers, politicians and thought leaders in the clean energy revolution here in Hawaii.

Strategy:

• Engaged influencers from the relevant issue area thought leadership to act as traditional and social media surrogates.
• Collaborated with data visualization firm Polygraph to produce and promote an online tool — transcendingoil.com — to make the report digestible and engaging to the public.
• Conducted pre-briefings for key members of the local and national media, including a national press call, to preview the findings of the report under embargo ahead of the release.
• Held a press conference with Elemental Excelerator CEO Dawn Lippert to present the findings of the report along with former U.S. energy secretary Ernest Moniz and Hawaii state governor David Ige among other speakers.
• Orchestrated an memorandum of understanding signing ceremony between Elemental Excelerator and Kamehameha Schools to highlight the depth and credibility of the organization’s commitment to the community.
• Secured proclamation from the State of Hawaii naming Transcending Oil Day on the day of the Earth Day Energy Summit.

Results:

• More than 300 local and national leaders in clean energy attended Elemental Excelerator’s Earth Day Energy Summit to discuss Transcending Oil.
• Three bills aligned with the policy recommendations in the Transcending Oil report were signed into law with the strong encouragement of Elemental Excelerator and Earth Day Energy Summit participants following the conclusion of the 2018 legislative session.
• The report was covered in over 3 dozen local and national media outlets including Green Tech Media, Pacific Business News, and the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.
• TranscendingOil.com attracted over 8000 page views in the days immediately following the release of the report, with top viewership from Honolulu, San Francisco and New York.