Thursday, March 28, 2024
Hawai'i Free Press

Current Articles | Archives

Tuesday, December 10, 2013
IAM Challenges Molokai Alt Energy Project on Transparency
By News Release @ 4:29 PM :: 5595 Views :: Maui County, Energy

I Aloha Molokai News Release December 6, 2013

IAM regrets to announce the cancellation of our 3rd Alternative Energy Festival, scheduled for January 14. We had hoped once again to host vendors, speakers, and vigorous public discussion of energy options for our island, and our state. Recent confidential negotiations between Molokai Ranch, California wind developer Princeton Energy, Maui County and Maui Electric Company, however, have cast doubt on our ability to keep the Festival as transparent and neutral as the previous two.

These negotiations concern a proposed 25 Megawatt Solar Farm with pumped hydro backup, to be placed on Ranch land above and below Manila Camp. While the project sounds promising, many basic questions remain unanswered. Moreover, Maui County’s premature endorsement of the project, before any public meetings have been held, risks giving project developers false confidence about community buy-in.  According to the December 4th Dispatch, Princeton Energy CEO Steve Taber “does not plan to hold a meeting with the entire community.” Certain of the negotiating parties are already reported to be executing “non-disclosure agreements.”

Among the questions which need answering are: What would be the impact on Manila Camp? Has anyone asked those residents what they think? Why didn’t the County schedule public meetings to explain the project and gather input before they endorsed it? This is, after all, the whole point of bottom-up planning, which was the goal of IAM’s Molokai Clean Energy Initiative. This is also the whole point of our Resolution, HCR 189, which endorsed bottom up planning statewide and received unanimous support from our Legislature.

How will this project affect MECO’s Molokai grid? What upgrades would be needed? What would they cost? Who would pay for them? How will this project impact our grid’s ability to accept more residential solar? Can this project provide island scale emergency backup? What guarantee do we have that this new wind company will not purchase Pattern Energy’s entitlements and revive the industrial wind/undersea cable plan? This project does switch us to renewable energy. In theory, it also promises to reduce our rates; but in practice, with projected and probable costs, it’s hard to see how rates won’t go even higher.

IAM has never opposed appropriate development for the Ranch or for Molokai. We would love to support a project like this, if it checks out and wins broad community support. We have simply insisted that large projects follow an open, public and democratic process. This isn’t much to ask. Securing community buy-in first clearly saves time and money down the road. The Hawaii Natural Energy Institute, for example, has understood our request, and has reshaped its proposed battery project accordingly. The Princeton project could also be a winner, but only if its drivers are willing to brake for democracy.

I Aloha Molokai

---30---

Background: Molokai Ranch Reveals Alt-Energy Plan

Related:

Links

TEXT "follow HawaiiFreePress" to 40404

Register to Vote

2aHawaii

808 Silent Majority

Aloha Pregnancy Care Center

AntiPlanner

Antonio Gramsci Reading List

A Place for Women in Waipio

Ballotpedia Hawaii

Broken Trust

Build More Hawaiian Homes Working Group

Christian Homeschoolers of Hawaii

Cliff Slater's Second Opinion

DVids Hawaii

FIRE

Fix Oahu!

Frontline: The Fixers

Genetic Literacy Project

Grassroot Institute

Habele.org

Hawaii Aquarium Fish Report

Hawaii Aviation Preservation Society

Hawaii Catholic TV

Hawaii Christian Coalition

Hawaii Cigar Association

Hawaii ConCon Info

Hawaii Debt Clock

Hawaii Defense Foundation

Hawaii Family Forum

Hawaii Farmers and Ranchers United

Hawaii Farmer's Daughter

Hawaii Federalist Society

Hawaii Federation of Republican Women

Hawaii History Blog

Hawaii Homeschool Association

Hawaii Jihadi Trial

Hawaii Legal News

Hawaii Legal Short-Term Rental Alliance

Hawaii Matters

Hawaii's Partnership for Appropriate & Compassionate Care

Hawaii Public Charter School Network

Hawaii Rifle Association

Hawaii Shippers Council

Hawaii Smokers Alliance

Hawaii State Data Lab

Hawaii Together

HIEC.Coop

HiFiCo

Hiram Fong Papers

Homeschool Legal Defense Hawaii

Honolulu Moms for Liberty

Honolulu Navy League

Honolulu Traffic

House Minority Blog

Imua TMT

Inouye-Kwock, NYT 1992

Inside the Nature Conservancy

Inverse Condemnation

Investigative Project on Terrorism

July 4 in Hawaii

Kakaako Cares

Keep Hawaii's Heroes

Land and Power in Hawaii

Legislative Committee Analysis Tool

Lessons in Firearm Education

Lingle Years

Managed Care Matters -- Hawaii

Malama Pregnancy Center of Maui

MentalIllnessPolicy.org

Military Home Educators' Network Oahu

Missile Defense Advocacy

MIS Veterans Hawaii

NAMI Hawaii

Natatorium.org

National Christian Foundation Hawaii

National Parents Org Hawaii

NFIB Hawaii News

No GMO Means No Aloha

Not Dead Yet, Hawaii

NRA-ILA Hawaii

Oahu Alternative Transport

Obookiah

OHA Lies

Opt Out Today

OurFutureHawaii.com

Patients Rights Council Hawaii

PEACE Hawaii

People vs Machine

Practical Policy Institute of Hawaii

Pritchett Cartoons

Pro-GMO Hawaii

P.U.E.O.

RailRipoff.com

Rental by Owner Awareness Assn

ReRoute the Rail

Research Institute for Hawaii USA

Rick Hamada Show

RJ Rummel

Robotics Organizing Committee

School Choice in Hawaii

SenatorFong.com

Sink the Jones Act

Statehood for Guam

Talking Tax

Tax Foundation of Hawaii

The Real Hanabusa

Time Out Honolulu

Trustee Akina KWO Columns

UCC Truths

US Tax Foundation Hawaii Info

VAREP Honolulu

Waagey.org

West Maui Taxpayers Association

What Natalie Thinks

Whole Life Hawaii

Yes2TMT