SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Richard Rosenblum, former CEO and President of the Hawaiian Electric Company (HECO) and a champion of renewable energy in the Hawaiian Islands, has been elected to the board of directors of Amber Kinetics, Inc., announced Edward Chiao, CEO. Amber Kinetics developed and manufactures the first utility-scale, flywheel energy storage system capable of delivering multi-hour discharge duration, the gold standard for electricity grid optimization.
“Dick Rosenblum brings to our board of directors valuable expertise in utility transition to renewable energy sources and the smart grid,” said Chiao. “Under his stewardship, HECO became a national leader in the procurement and implementation of renewable wind and solar energy, growing from 2% renewable to 12% renewable energy sources. It was his vision that led to the development of HECO’s Power Supply Improvement Plan, which is the road map for reaching Hawaii’s 65% goal of renewable energy by 2030, which is the highest in the nation.”
That roadmap identifies energy storage as the top priority for enabling HECO’s continued deployment of renewable energy. “Flywheel storage brings a mature solution to a critical grid need,” Rosenblum said. “It is well understood, it is economical, and it is particularly well suited to managing variable energy to achieve grid stability.”
Rosenblum, 64, joined HECO as chief executive officer and president in 2009. During his tenure, he implemented important programs to stimulate competition among renewable developers to achieve reasonable pricing, expedite energy facility permitting, and create more business opportunities for renewable producers.
Previously, he held a number of senior positions during a long career at Southern California Edison, including senior vice president of Generation and Chief Nuclear Officer, and senior vice president of SCE’s Transmission and Distribution business unit, which is responsible for the high-voltage bulk transmission and retail distribution of electricity in SCE’s 50,000 square mile service territory.
ABOUT AMBER KINETICS, INC.
Energy storage is widely seen as the most important tool for stabilizing the electric grid. Amber Kinetics develops projects for utilities seeking to upgrade grid infrastructure utilizing its proprietary flywheel energy storage banks. Through its novel storage solution, the California based manufacture assists utilities in transitioning to the smart grid of the future.
For more information, contact info@amberkinetics.com or visit www.amberkinetics.com, or call Bill Barnes, Managing Director of Development, at 415-218-3935.