Honolulu leads the nation in green-appliance households, according to Scarborough Research.

The consumer research firm said Honolulu tied with Green Bay, Wis., with 40 percent of households having energy-saving appliances. That compares with the national average of 32 percent.

Scarborough said the top green cities shared several traits, including love of the outdoors. The least green appliance city was a tie between Las Vegas and four cities in Texas that included Brownsville and McAllen.

SBA FORUM TARGETS ECONOMIC RECOVERY

The Small Business Administration is sponsoring a forum in Honolulu next week to provide small businesses with information on state, federal and local programs to help them cope with the economic slowdown.

The SBA's "Re-invent, Re-think, and Re-Tool" Forum is set for 9 to 11:30 a.m. Wednesday at the Small Business Resource Center, 1041 Nu'uanu Ave.

Guests include U.S. Rep. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawai'i; Linda Smith, senior policy adviser for Gov. Linda Lingle; and Pearl Imada Iboshi, deputy director of the state Department of Economic Development and Tourism. Jane Sawyer, district director for the SBA's Hawai'i office will moderate.

Reservations can be made online at www.sba.gov/hi. For more information, call 541-2990.

CREDIT UNION OPENS NEW KAPOLEI BRANCH

Aloha Pacific Federal Credit Union opened a branch in Kapolei Tuesday, its second new location in less than a month.

The full-service branch at 1001 Kamokila Blvd. is open from 9:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. weekdays and from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturdays.

Aloha Pacific is the third largest credit union in Hawai'i, with nine branches and about $612 million in assets. It opened a branch in Kaimukī on March 10.

— Advertiser Staff