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Department of Defense studies have concluded that air conditioning accounts for 30-60% of its total facility energy expenditures. Switching from fossil fuels to solar heat will help the DOD to meet is aggressive renewable energy targets. The demonstration project at Davis-Monthan AFB is scheduled for completion in March 2012.

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HawaiiCounty.gov and HawaiiCountyMayor.com have been updated with accessibility in mind, enabling those who use assistive technology to more easily browse the web to access information and news about County departments and programs.

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Today, U.S. Senator Daniel K. Akaka (D-Hawaii) joined 25 Senate colleagues in calling on Ambassador Nancy Brinker, Founder and CEO of Susan G. Komen for the Cure, to reconsider her organization’s decision to stop funding cancer screenings at Planned Parenthood.

“It would be tragic if any woman—let alone thousands of women— lost access to these potentially life-saving screenings because of a politically motivated attack,” the Senators wrote.

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Governor Neil Abercrombie today announced the release of more than $13 million for various Capital Improvement Projects (CIP) that invest in Hawai’i’s local agriculture industry and upgrade the state’s water irrigation infrastructure. “The priority projects being funded will greatly support and expand agriculture in Hawai’i,” said Russell S. Kokubun, chairperson of the Hawai’i Board of Agriculture.

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Last week, in his State of the Union address, President Obama said: “Tax reform should follow the Buffett Rule.” Today, U.S. Senator Daniel K. Akaka (D-Hawaii) and seven colleagues introduced legislation to make that goal a reality and put an end to a tax policy that often asks middle class workers to pay higher tax rates than individuals earning more than $1 million per year.

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The Civil Defense sirens are tested monthly at 11:45 a.m. on the first work day of the month. The monthly test is a one minute sounding. It is a good idea to listen to a local radio stations during the monthly test to ensure you can receive the Emergency Alert Messages which are broadcast in conjunction with the monthly siren test.

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A new website will allow internet users to determine their computer or electronic device’s internet speed and help the state map its broadband coverage as the Abercrombie Administration moves forward with its Hawai’i Broadband Initiative. Participants can take the test at hawaiispeedtest.net. The data collected will assist the state in identifying and closing gaps in service throughout Hawai’i.

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Senator Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii), a senior member on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, and a bipartisan group of his colleagues today introduced legislation to require an independent study of backscatter x-ray scanners and to require signs to alert travelers they have screening alternatives other than the backscatter machines.

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Governor Neil Abercrombie today announced the appointment of Barbara Yamashita as deputy director of the state Department of Human Services (DHS). She fills the vacancy left by Pankaj Bhanot, who returned to his previous position as chief administrator of the DHS Benefit, Employment and Support Services Division (BESSD).

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The State of Hawai’i is re-energizing its successful EV Ready Rebate Program with an additional $150,000 and has extended the deadline for rebates on new electric or plug-in hybrid electric vehicles and chargers from January 31 to March 31, 2012.

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Video of President Obama’s State of the Union Address Tuesday, January 24, 2012

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‘Earlier this month, the Council of Revenues projected a 3 percent decline in our revenue forecast, which amounts to $130 million. The question then, is how do we address what could be a daunting fiscal picture.’

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