9/13/2023 0 Comments Blue planet foundation controversy![]() Numerous groups testified in favor of the bill, among them, environmental organizations like the Sierra Club of Hawaii and Life of the Land, and renewable energy advocates like the Hawaii Solar Energy Association and the Elemental Excelerator, a business incubator for clean energy startups. Nicole Lowen, as well as House Speaker Scott Saiki and Finance Committee Chair Sylvia Luke. For example, more than a dozen representatives signed onto the House bill, including its main sponsor, Rep. Meanwhile, the measure has broad support. “However,” he adds, “there is still significant uncertainty about the extent to which those projects will be selected, come online, and contribute to the state’s RPS achievement.” Bill Has Widespread Support Public Utilities Commission chairman Jay Griffin notes in his testimony on the bills now before the Legislature that the bid solicitation is expected to result in several projects. The question is how many of these projects will come to fruition. Hawaiian Electric is expected to pick the winning bids in May, with regulatory approval following next year. Projects are expected to occupy some 3,000 acres, the equivalent of 29 Aloha Stadiums. On Oahu alone, the company expects 20 to 29 contracts with private developers and a total investment of $2.5 billion to $4 billion, including land costs. The utility has solicited bids from third parties to develop a massive array of projects. ![]() ![]() Renewable energy projects on Maui and the Big Island have been hindered by litigation.Īnd the pushback comes as Hawaiian Electric is really just getting started. In Kahuku, more than 160 people were arrested last year after staging protests of AES Corp.’s Na Pua Makani wind farm – a project being developed on state agriculture land despite longstanding opposition by residents. Renewable energy projects also have spawned large demonstrations. ![]() It’s not just projects like the controversial Thirty Meter Telescope proposed for the summit of Mauna Kea and a ball field proposed for a beachside forest in Waimanalo. Hawaiian Electric executives declined to comment for this story.īut Lau’s testimony shouldn’t surprise anyone who’s following Hawaii’s growing protest movement: the utility is concerned residents won’t really want the numerous large-scale solar and wind farms needed to replace the state’s fossil fuel-driven power plants.Īctivism is nothing new in Hawaii, but protests of large-scale projects seem to be happening more frequently, as residents increasingly say government officials aren’t heeding their concerns before pushing ahead with major projects. “We see growing issues concerning alignment of key energy, land use, and other policies, especially as communities have voiced concerns about siting of certain renewable energy projects,” the company’s corporate energy planning manager, Chris Lau, said in written testimony. The bottom line: the new bill tweaks the mandate so 100% renewable means just that, with no wiggle room for Hawaiian Electric to skirt the requirement.īut in testimony opposing the measure, Hawaiian Electric has raised a more fundamental question. The bills chiefly make technical changes to how the state defines renewable energy used for electricity, something known as the renewable portfolio standard, or RPS. The latest measures, introduced this legislative session - a House bill and Senate companion - have broad support from lawmakers and renewable energy advocates. ![]() It’s a perennial issue for lawmakers promoting green energy in Hawaii: how to close a loophole in a law designed to wean the state from electricity made from fossil fuel by 2045.īut Hawaii’s largest electric company is increasingly concerned that a cloud may be forming over the state’s efforts to develop a carbon-free energy economy. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |