HONOLULU -- University of Hawaii officials are trying to get their arms around the soaring electricity costs.

The UH system is second only to the military in electrical use in Hawaii.

School officials on Tuesday announced an energy plan with Hawaiian Electric Co. to monitor its use.

Students and staff are being encouraged to conserve energy. The administration has committed to stop the waste of power and money where it can.

"I am paying $15.6 million in electricity. My bill has gone up $4 million over the last year, and we are anticipating another $3 million this coming year. So, for us at UH Manoa, this is a critical issue," UH Manoa Chancellor Denise Konan said.

Among the university's goals is to reduce energy costs by 30 percent over the next six years.

The school plans to start by identifying the most inefficient structures on campus and then retrofitting them to save money. One of the worst energy offenders is Manoa's engineering building Holmes Hall, officials said.