Thursday, March 28, 2024
Hawai'i Free Press

Current Articles | Archives

Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Broadband to be Trojan Horse for Big Wind Cable?
By Andrew Walden @ 3:35 PM :: 13178 Views :: Kauai County, DHHL, Energy, Environment

by Andrew Walden

In his now-infamous June 2 speech to the Hawaii Economic Association, Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism Director Richard Lim made a subtle and largely unnoticed change to the Abercrombie administration’s controversial plans for an inter-island cable to transmit electricity from Big Wind projects on Lanai, Molokai, and Maui.  Lim told his audience:

“…we are advocating the construction of an undersea cable to connect the islands with energy and broadband….”

Broadband has not previously been part of the Big Wind cable project.  For instance, a search for the word “broadband” in DBEDT’s 158 page, April 19, 2011, report titled Status and Perspective on the Big Wind/Cable Project turns up nothing—but “cable” pops up 1,038 times.

So why the sudden addition of broadband to the Big Wind cable? 

Part of the answer came last night when Gov. Abercrombie signed House Bill 1342 which, according to his news release:

“exempts broadband infrastructure improvements from state or county permitting requirements for five years”. 

After getting the bill past the legislature, Lim merely redefines the Big Wind cable as “broadband infrastructure.”  Now anybody can get their project through by wrapping a strand of fiber optic cable around it.   

Wind and Broadband together were part of the business model pitched to credulous Wall Street investors by former Enron CEO Jeffrey Skilling.

The “Clipper Liberty” wind turbines installed by mafia-connected developer First Wind at Kahuku and on Maui are made by a company founded by a former Director of Enron Wind.  Clipper Liberty Vice President of Engineering is also an Enron Wind veteran.   

---30---

Related:

Wind Farm Documents Online:

Another potential beneficiary of the Broadband Infrastructure exemption, Al Hee:  Sandwich Isles Communications: Political Connections Pay Off

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