Thursday, March 28, 2024
Hawai'i Free Press

Current Articles | Archives

Monday, October 29, 2012
Molokai: Big Cable RFP Should be Delayed
By News Release @ 5:26 PM :: 9371 Views :: Maui County, Energy

An Open Letter From I Aloha Molokai

To: Governor Neil Abercrombie, Lieutenant Governor Brian Schatz, State Energy Administrator Mark Glick and staff, Members of the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission, and Carl Freedman, IRP facilitator.

Aloha Honorable Officials:

Today three processes regarding our energy future are running on parallel tracks ---

(1) the IRP, or Integrated Resource Planning, (which involves 68 officials, experts and interested parties),

(2) the Hawaii Clean Energy Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement, or PEIS (conducted by the US Department of Energy), and

(3) HECO's request for proposals to build an undersea cable, or RFP.

Together, these efforts could result in a smart, affordable state energy plan with public support --- but only if they are carefully synchronized.

According to the PUC and HECO, the RFP is expected six months before the IRP process is complete and at least a year before the results of the PEIS are released. To the general public this looks like putting the verdict before the evidence and the action before the plan. If this is allowed, it seems likely to revive suspicions that state energy planning is mostly a cover story for corporate profiteering. It will surely disillusion those who have participated with good faith in the planning process. It could crystallize opposition and provoke an unnecessary fight.

We believe you are all seeking an affordable energy plan that commands broad public support. We therefore respectfully urge you to delay the RFP until it can be shaped by the results of the IRP and the PEIS.

Haste makes waste. No one will fault you for making big decisions in a deliberate manner. In the interim, you can direct HECO, MECO and HELCO to improve their customer service, expand their capacity to accept rooftop solar, and upgrade obsolete plants and equipment. Since any large renewable projects are bound to involve further rate increases, it surely wouldn't hurt to start building up a reservoir of consumer good will.

Though we oppose big wind and the cable for Molokai, we do share your goal of greater statewide energy self-sufficiency. We believe there is common ground between us, common ground which could be clearly identified through the IRP and the PEIS. In asking you to delay the RFP we are simply asking you to honor your own initiatives, the work of those you have appointed, the needs of consumers and ratepayers, and the fragile environment of our beautiful state.

If you look through our films and published statements, you will see that IAM does support many renewable energy projects. For us the key criteria are minimal damage and affordable cost. We think, for example, that Blue Planet and the Sierra Club are simply wrong about Big Wind. Giant turbines are not really “green” and their cost / benefit ratio simply doesn't pencil out. On the other hand, IAM would like to work with the state to explore conversion to other renewables, including solar on Molokai. We believe each island has to find its own appropriate renewable energy mix.

No one has all the answers, but one thing is crystal clear: A premature “Christmas surprise,” which invites bidders to blast ahead with Big Wind and the cable, will send precisely the wrong message.

Mahalo for your attention.

Kanohowailuku Helm, President, I Aloha Molokai

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