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MS. JARMAN: Actually, now that they're going to go more to economic development, I <br />would even feel less comfortable having Energy with Research and Development. Not <br />because all economic development is necessarily antithetical to sustainability and to energy <br />sustainability. But, it seems to me that Environmental Management, even though to date has <br />been fairly narrowly having to do with waste, would be in a better position to look at the <br />broader issues. You wouldn't end up with some of the same conflicts you do as when you <br />end up with economic development, that are realistic conflicts. I think there are always <br />trade -offs made when you are doing economic development, and how you are going to be <br />doing economic development. Having the eye of the environmental management side <br />looking at it, to me, might move our programs forward further than with the Department of <br />Economic Development. I'm just not sure how we would give it the same -- elevate it in the <br />Department of Economic Development, as we would in the Department of Environmental <br />Management. Let's assume, for a moment, that the Council gave you enough resources to <br />hire people to do energy and sustainability, would that change the department's mind? <br />MR. TORIGOE: Well, that's a rather large assumption, given the current economic climate. <br />I think all of the departments are just scrambling to maintain sufficient resources to carry out <br />their core mission. The Department of Environmental Management, in particular, is really <br />playing catch -up over decades of not being equipped or funded to the level necessary to <br />tackle the challenges that they are facing. This is not to say that the department wouldn't be <br />involved. I think one of the things the Director has expressed is that it would be good for the <br />department to be involved as kind of a department with a seat at the table, if someone like <br />Research and Development were to take the lead. The questions of energy sustainability and <br />food sustainability are very broad, and involve very specific technologies. For instance, <br />when you are talking about photovoltaic power, these are very specific issues that require <br />very specialized expertise to address. In that sense, these being cutting edge technologies, it <br />is really something that is well suited to Research and Development, even Economic <br />Development. When you are talking about Economic Development, you are talking about <br />how industries will interact with your energy supply. Things like photovoltaic, these are <br />emerging technologies that somebody really has to focus and specialize on. Whichever <br />department actually takes on these issues will really have to be in a position to have some <br />specialized expertise to deal with the emerging technologies, and how it is integrated into the <br />business climate. <br />MS. KAWAUCHI: Is it possible that may even be a separate department, because of the <br />breath, and the scope, and the expertise needed? <br />MR. TORIGOE: It is possible. <br />MS. OSBORNE: I'd just like to say that on Oahu, DBEDT, Department of Business <br />Economic Development and Tourism, is very much entrenched with doing this work with <br />energy and the Department of Energy on the national level. So, it is very comfortably <br />couched in that department on Oahu. <br />CHR. HAITSUKA: Are there any further questions for Mr. Torigoe? Thank you. <br />22 <br />