Energy

Nonprofits will be able to use GEMS financing to prepay a power purchase agreement (PPA) for a PV system that will fix their electricity costs for 20 years....

...April 7 through April 16 on Oahu, Hawaii Island, Maui, Molokai and Lanai....

...Since 2005, however, gasoline usage has actually declined steadily, which today forces more ethanol into less gasoline....

...if HB1471 passes we are looking at a total tax of $53.2 million, which is an increase of about 25%....

...SB 717 will repeal the requirement that gasoline sold in the state for use in motor vehicles be composed of 10% ethanol....

“To date Ormat has received at least $136,791,964.00 in 1603 payments through fraudulent and/or false 1603 grant applications....”

...Plenty of issues remain to be addres­sed, not least the safety implications of having kites weighing more than a tonne flying around on cables up to 310m long....

... a provision in the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Section 1603) allows companies to receive cash payments in lieu of tax credits for the installation of renewable energy properties ....

... Schedule Q pays the “avoided cost” of oil ....

It costs $2 a barrel to ship Texas crude to Europe or Asia and $7 to ship it to Philadelphia....

...HB1468 Removes the authorization granted to the public utilities commission to establish an interisland high-voltage electric transmission cable....

Contrary to some reports, the Hawaiian Electric Companies are continuing to accept solar photovoltaic (PV) applications....

The next step in the process is to begin contract negotiations with Ormat, with an agreement to be submitted to the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) for approval....

Under SB358, gas will be taxed more heavily than oil....

If approved, Hawaii taxpayers could find themselves providing $44M in loan guarantees to an Indian company's jet fuel deal in England....

Local, democratic control over the island’s energy infrastructure....

Requires PUC to establish community-based renewable energy tariff or tariffs by no later than January 1, 2016....

...35 schools on Oahu and 15 schools on Kauai....

Should the bill pass out of CPC committee it will be heard in Finance Committee next....

...Expenses, including the $1.25M loan to IDG, would not be recovered....

Customers heard pitches that turned out to be false, deceptive, and misleading....

...their projects “are not obligated to physically deliver electricity.”...

...reprogramming its Hawaiian microinverter fleet en masse, to help Hawaiian Electric....

...Nebraskans pay one of the lowest rates for electricity in the nation and revenues are reinvested in infrastructure to ensure reliable and cheap service for years to come....

...In nearly any other state, the inter-island cable project being considered in Hawaii would be subject to various federal rules and regulations designed to ensure consumers receive the benefits of robust competition....

...see the status and progress of planned renewable generation projects, including customer-sited rooftop solar as well as mid-sized and utility-scale wind and solar projects....

Highlights of the application include a commitment to not file a request with the PUC for a general base rate increase for at least four years post-transaction close and approximately $60 million in quantified customer savings...

Senator Jeffrey Flake from Arizona, who attended BYU will keynote our evening. He knows our state, our people and our customs.  He sits on important committees in the U.S. Senate which affect our state.....

“The next round of high prices is likely to start later this year, as crude rebounds to the $80s and $90s, perhaps pushing to the $100 level by late in the year or early next.”

“It is critically important to address energy concerns and propose effective local solutions this legislative year because of HECO's acquisition offer from Florida-based company, NextEra,” said Rep. Thielen....

...if prices stay this low, it will take up to four months before electricity prices fully reflect the drop in oil prices....

Power fluctuations from a first large plant installed in 2012 have already largely burned out the big batteries....

Any program changes from this proposal would apply only to new customers....

This agreement provides NextEra Energy Resources with long-term access rights to PRFT lands to develop renewable energy derived from PRFT's wind resources....

The drop in crude oil prices from $112/ barrel in June of 2014 to $46/barrel today will, if sustained, provide a nice boost to Hawaii’s economy....

Doug Chin is former managing director for the City and County of Honolulu.  Randy Iwase was Supervising Deputy Attorney General whose division provided legal counsel to the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs and the Public Utilities Commission....

State land records show the couple illegally built two bed and breakfast units and operated the lucrative business for more than a decade in a conservation district in Hanalei....

Top concerns include the state economy, education, the Hawaii Health Connector, oversight of the Public Utilities Commission in light of the Hawaiian Electric Industries/NextEra merger, and positively affecting the cost of living for Hawaii residents....

She previously told PBN that she would like to continue as chair....

The board of directors and management of NEE became more familiar with HEI through NEE’s involvement with energy projects in Hawaii in 2011....

A Hawaii solar state of the union from Marco Mangelsdorf....

"...its biggest proposal in the Aloha state is a $600 million cable project...."

...the production tax credit (PTC) gives wind companies 2.3 cents for every kilowatt-hour of electricity they produce....

There are at least two class action suits filed against the HEI-NextEra merger....

In Hawaii, its power company is trying to get a $55 fixed monthly charge, which is double its current fee....

...leasing solar panels from a third party may be a harmful investment for homeowners....

...The study examines environmental costs for cars' entire life cycle, including where power comes from and the environmental effects of building batteries....