You hear a lot these days about the idea of using palm oil as a source of biodiesel fuel.

Here’s how Big Island farmers think about it. They ask: “So, how much money I going make?”

Let’s see. Say oil is $100 per barrel. There are 42 gallons of oil per barrel, so 1 gallon of oil is worth $2.38. As there are about 8 lbs. of water to a gallon, 1 lb. of oil is worth about 30 cents.

It takes maybe 2 lbs. of nuts to make 1 lb. of oil.

So when oil is $100 per barrel, farmers will make 15 cents per lb. of nuts.

When oil reaches $200/gallon, farmers will make all of 30 cents/lb.

When oil is $300/gallon, they’ll make 45 cents/lb. But they’ll already have lost their farm by then.

No sense, lose money!

Somebody said kukui nuts can be used to make biodiesel, too. But nobody like hire anybody to pick up the mac nuts that stay on the ground right now. No sense, lose money.

Maybe hydroelectric is the answer. After you pay for the pipe and generator, no need fertilize. No more harvest cost. No need work weekends. Eh! No need work.

Same like geothermal! More about that soon.