Mr. Yoh Kawanami

Yoh Kawanami is the Director of Customer Energy Resources Operations at Hawaiian Electric located in Honolulu, Hawaii.

With ten years of service, Yoh is responsible for the operationalization of customer-sited energy resource programs to enhance grid reliability and supports the integration of additional renewable energy through adoption of distributed energy resources. Yoh is the recipient of 2019 EPRI Technology Transfer Award for his research in utilizing water heaters as a grid resource. Fluent in Japanese, Yoh serves as the company’s liaison to Japanese government, utilities, and national labs.

Yoh is a fellow of two leadership programs, TOMODACHI Mitsui Leadership Fellow and Pacific Century Fellow. Yoh serves on board for two non-profit organization Pacific International Center of High Technology Research (PICHTR) and Pacific Impact Zone (PIZ) focused on innovation and technology development in Hawaii.  Yoh also serves on multiple boards and volunteers for various non-profit organizations focused on topics ranging from education, U.S.-Japan relations to local community development. In 2022, Yoh was selected as the “20 of the next 20” by Hawaii Business Magazine.

Yoh holds a Doctorate in Engineering Management from George Washington University where he focused his thesis on renewable energy strategy in Japan. Yoh also holds a Master’s in Engineering Management from Duke University and a Bachelor of Science in Aeronautics and Astronautics Engineering from the University of Washington.