Shares of Hoku Scientific Inc. posted their biggest percentage gain in 22 months as investors cheered an agreement to sell a 60 percent interest in Hoku to China-based Tianwei New Energy Holdings Co.

The shares traded as high as $4.33 on the Nasdaq Stock Market and closed at $2.96, a 38 percent jump from a day earlier.

The Tianwei deal is expected to close in coming weeks and includes $50 million of financing that will help Hoku complete a polysilicon materials plant in Idaho. The company also expects to gain greater access to markets in China with the new ownership.

ELECTRONIC HEALTH RECORDS TO EXPAND

The Hawai'i Primary Care Association is receiving a $750,000 grant to expand electronic health records through the association's health center programs.

The grant is funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Such technology is being promoted as a way to improve health care and includes storage of test results, medical notes and other records for doctors and nurses to access.

"Sharing important health histories and records in real time can be critical to ensuring patients receive the highest quality of care," said Hawai'i Sen. Daniel Inouye in announcing the grant.

ISLE FIRM TO WORK WITH LOCKHEED MARTIN

Honolulu-based Ocean Engineering and Energy Systems said it will support Lockheed Martin in developing technology in Hawai'i and other locations for ocean thermal energy conversion.

Lockheed Martin recently was awarded an $8.12 million contract from the U.S. Naval Facilities Engineering Command to advance the development of OTEC system components for the Navy.

Ocean Engineering and several other firms will work with Lockheed Martin to advance OTEC as a renewable ocean energy technology for the Navy. Work will be performed in Hawai'i, California, Texas and Virginia, and is expected to be completed by September 2010.