Category Archives: Geothermal

Biofuel, Food Security, Geothermal, Lowering Electric Rates, Peak Oil, Renewable Energy Sources

Energy & the Future of the Big Island

Richard Ha writes:

This past Friday I participated on an energy panel at the Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel called “Energy: Facing the Reality of Renewables.” Panel members were Jay Ignacio, President of Hawaii Electric Light company; Mike Kaleikini, who is General
Manager of Puna Geothermal Venture; and myself, as steering committee member of the Big Island Community Coalition.

From the Kona-Kohala Chamber of Commerce: “The 2013 Summit will further explore those initiatives via ‘panels of conversation’ on each topic. Three guests per topic have been invited to participate on panels to discuss their work with the Summit audience, ideas that inspire them and what they see as the future for Hawaii Island. Each panel will have 45 minutes of discussion followed by questions from the audience. We are pleased to have Steve Petranik, Editor of ‘Hawaii Business Magazine’ as our moderator again this year.”

There were five panels: Education, Sustainability, Employment, Energy and Health Care.

West Hawaii Today wrote about it in an article called Prospects of an All-Geothermal Isle Unlikely.

I started out by saying mixed messages are being sent out. Some say that the U.S. has enough oil and gas that we will soon replace Saudi Arabia as a world energy supplier. Using data and scientific methods, the Association for the Study of Peak Oil-USA (ASPO) has come to different conclusions. Its agenda is merely to spread the best information it has on this topic. You can learn more by viewing video at the ASPO-USA.org website.

I described the Big Island Community Coalition’s mission, which is to achieve, for the Big Island, the lowest-cost electricity in the state. Striving for a low cost solution hedges our bets. It is better to be safe than sorry. I told them that those interested in supporting this group can get on the Big Island Community Coalition mailing list.

I related how food and energy are inextricably tied together. Food security has to do with farmers farming. And if farmers make money, the farmers will farm! But while only two percent of the mainland’s electricity comes from oil, more than 70 percent of the electricity in Hawai‘i does. The mainland, of course, is our main supplier of food and our biggest competitor. As oil prices rise, Hawai‘i becomes less and less competitive.

As oil prices rise, and electricity prices rise, and farmers and other businesses become less competitive, local families have less spending money.

The answer is to find the lowest electricity cost solution. For if people have extra money, they will spend it. Two-thirds of our economy is made up of consumer spending.

Provided that the expensive and ill-advised Aina Koa Pono biofuel project does not go forward, we have a bright future ahead of us. In the pipeline is Hu Honua’s 22MW biomass burning project, and
next is 50W of additional geothermal. Add to that 38MW of present geothermal, and, assuming the old geothermal contract is renegotiated, that would amount to 110MW of stable affordable electricity. This would be more than 60 percent of the peak power use on the Big Island. Even if we do not count wind and solar renewables, this would put the Big Island on a trajectory of achieving the lowest cost electricity in the state.

What would happen if our electricity costs were lower than O‘ahu’s? We can’t even imagine it.

  • It would change our economy.
  • It would help our County government preserve services.
  • Fewer of our kids would have to go to the mainland to find jobs.
  • More of our money could be used for education, instead of paying for oil.
  • More people would have money to support local farmers.
  • Single moms would have less pressure than they do now.
  • Folks on the lowest rungs of the economic ladder would not be pushed over the edge.
  • There are lots and lots  of younger folks who want to farm. Maybe they could actually make money so they could farm.

I told the audience that we on the panel were all friends. But there is too much at stake for the BICC to give ground on our goal to make the Big Island’s electricity the cheapest in the state.

During the Q & A, someone asked what we each thought about an undersea cable to connect all the islands. I replied that our primary objective is to bring low cost electricity to the Big Island before we do anything else.

The audience liked that a lot and spontaneously applauded.

Geothermal, Government

More Opposition to Bill 292

Richard Ha writes:

There’s more testimony against Hawaii County Bill 292 re: Geothermal Drilling Restrictions.

The Geothermal Resources Council’s testimony:


November 6, 2012

Hawaii County Council
c/o Office of the County Clerk
County of Hawaii
25 Aupuni Street

Hilo, Hawaii 96720

Re: Opposition to County of Hawaii Bill No. 292, Geothermal Drilling Restrictions

Dear Hawaii County Council Members:

The Geothermal Resources Council, as a representative of numerous geothermal
educational institutions and development companies hereby expresses its concerns about
Bill No. 292. The drilling restrictions in this Bill would inhibit and could ultimately
prohibit the further development of geothermal on the Big Island.
Screen Shot 2012-11-09 at 12.21.47 PM

Developing geothermal power will help Hawaii reach its goals of energy independence and minimizing global warming emissions. Indigenous geothermal development and operation will help Hawaii reach these goals. Local jobs will be created to develop,
construct and operate these geothermal plants.

We have reviewed the testimony of one of our member companies, GeothermEx. The Geothermal Resource Council agrees with this expert’s conclusion that project risk and cost will be dramatically increased if the Bill is approved.


Noise issues have been addressed for over 30 years at other drill sites all over the world. Drilling has always been allowed without 12 hour daily curtailments. We join with the opposition to this Bill.

Please oppose Bill No. 292

Best Regards.

Steve Ponder
Interim Executive Director 

About the Geothermal Resources Council:

The Geothermal Resources Council (GRC) is a tax-exempt, nonprofit organization, educational association 501(c) organization. Formed in 1970, the GRC was incorporated in the state of Washington in 1972, and in California in 1981.

With members in over 40 countries, the GRC is a professional educational association for the international geothermal community.

Goals:

▪Encourage worldwide development of geothermal resources through the collection and timely distribution of data and technological information.

▪Promote research, exploration and development of geothermal energy in ways compatible with the environment.

▪Serve as a public forum for the world geothermal community, providing transfer of objective and unbiased information on the nature of geothermal resources and techniques of geothermal development.

▪Cooperate with national and international academic institutions, industry and government agencies to encourage economically and environmentally sound development and utilization of geothermal resources. Read more about the organization

Biofuel, Community, Geothermal, Peak Oil, Renewable Energy Sources

Rubbah Slippah Folks Turn Out at Kona PUC Meeting

Richard Ha writes:

The Kona PUC hearing we’ve been talking about here took place on Tuesday evening.

From West Hawaii Today:

Powerful resistance to PUC

By Erin Miller

West Hawaii Today

West Hawaii residents described to the Public Utilities Commission how they have cut back on energy usage, and questioned why Hawaiian Electric Light Co. shouldn’t have to bear the costs of upgrading its own equipment.

The questions continued as the PUC heard comments from residents Tuesday evening on a proposed contract between HELCO, Oahu’s Hawaii Electric Co. and Aina Koa Pono for a biodiesel project in Ka‘u.

Albert Prados, manager of the Fairway Villas at Waikoloa Beach Resort, was one of more than 20 people who testified against HELCO’s rate increase request, which HELCO officials would raise rates 4.2 percent, or about $8 per an average 500 kilowatt hour monthly bill. Prados described the measures he has taken in his own home, including shutting everything off except the refrigerator at night, to lower his electricity bill. Read the rest

Mayor Kenoi took a very strong stand on renewable energy. He
made clear that it is not sufficient that it be renewable; it also needs to be affordable. He is concerned about the most defenseless among us.

He said, This is the kind of project that 20 years from now, we will be asking, “How did we let that happen?” He also said that we are doing this for the benefit of HEI and HECO – but that there is no benefit for the Big Island. The Mayor is very aware that high and rising electricity costs threaten our economy and also the folks on the lowest rungs of the economic ladder.

Rep. Denny Coffman asked, “How is it we are here? This is not even proven technology.” He pointed out that the electric utility is setting the state’s energy policy, and that that should stop while we finish the Integrated Resource Planning process that’s happening right now. Rep. Coffman understands the energy situation worldwide and he knows it’s foolish to be chasing unproven technology. It is both a waste of time and money. In Hawai‘i, we do have proven technology that is affordable.

My testimony:

To answer the Consumer Advocate’s question, “Would we change our minds if all the costs were given to the Oahu rate payers?,” the answer is no! I think that giving AKP a 20-year contract will forego the opportunity of developing lower cost alternatives. And it will take up valuable time. Liquid natural gas is an option. Ocean energy might be ready within the 20-year period. Geothermal is an affordable, proven technology. For instance, there is an 11 cent difference between geothermal and oil today. We could replace liquid fuels with 80MW of geothermal electricity, and apply that savings to pay the remaining debt of the Keahole 80 MW liquid fuel burning plant.

(80 MW is equal to 80,000 kilowatts. That 11 cents/kilowatt hour savings multiplied by 80,000 kilowatt hours equals $8,800 that you save each hour. And the savings per day is $211,200. That times 365 days equals an annual savings of $77 million. That is enough to write off the plant and still give the rate payers a break.)

Jeff Ono

Consumer Advocate Jeff Ono asked: “If O‘ahu rate payers would pay the cost, would you still be against the AKP project?”

Most of the time, making electricity has to do with making steam to turn a turbine. You can burn coal to make steam, or you can burn oil to make steam. You can burn firewood to make steam, or use the steam from underground – that’s geothermal.

AKP takes the long way. They grow plants using fossil fuels,
then they use electricity to make microwaves to vaporize the plants, then take the liquid that rises and convert it to a burnable liquid, and haul it to Keahole, where they burn it to make steam.

It isn’t surprising that it is expensive.

More than a few engineer folks tell me that this process
uses more energy than it makes. And if that is the case, it will always be more expensive than oil. This is not a good bet for us.

Palm oil is the only biofuel today that can compete heads up
with petroleum oil. It produces 600 gallons of oil per acre. AKP strives to produce 16 million gallons per acre, plus another 8 million gallons – or 24 million gallons from 12,000 acres. That is 4 times as productive as palm oil, the only biofuel that competes straight up with petroleum oil. If it works, they don’t need any subsidy from us. If it works, they will all end up billionaires.

We cannot predict the price of oil. But people are hurting right now. And if oil prices reach $200 per barrel, the tourism industry will be devastated and everything connected with it will shrink. We do not have the luxury of time. We need a lower cost alternative right now.

Well-respected Council of Revenues economists Paul Brewbaker, of TZE Economics, and Carl Bonham, Executive Director of the
University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization (UHERO), agree that low-cost energy is a key component of our economic future. 

There are alternatives to $200/barrel biofuel. Geothermal is the equivalent of $57/barrel. Liquid natural gas is low cost now on the
mainland, and maybe ocean energy will be an alternative within the time period of the contract.

We need lower cost electricity, not higher, and AKP is not the answer. The AKP project is wasting valuable time, and we need to put it to bed so we can focus our attention on the next projects.

I agree with the electric utility from here forward. The next PUC hearing will be on the Hu Honua biomass plant at Pepe‘ekeo. They will use wood chips to boil water and make steam. This is proven technology and it looks to be cost effective.

After that will be a proposal for 50MW of geothermal. Geothermal does not have to burn anything. It just uses the steam underground to make electricity and it is cost effective.  

At that time, HELCO with its leverage should be able to successfully renegotiate the old contract that is tied to oil. Then we will be well on our way to protecting ourselves from the volatility of world oil prices. Those two projects will result in a total of 110 MW of stable, affordable electricity using proven technology. 

We need to strive for balance and common sense as we try to make things work for everyone. Hospitals, schools, hotels and businesses need the electric services provided by the grid. Fifty percent of our people rent and so cannot get off the grid. We need to be practical, and help to make sure the electric utility is healthy as we strive for a lower cost to the rate payer.

Biofuel, Geothermal, Lowering Electric Rates, Peak Oil

Try Wait – Comparing costs for Geothermal vs. Aina Koa Pono Biofuels

1 Comment

Richard Ha writes: 

It’s all about the cost.

What if we substituted geothermal electricity for Aina Koa Pono’s biofuels proposal, in order to replace the 80MW that the Keahole liquid fuel-fired plant produces?

Aina Koa Pono’s proposed plan would cost rate payers the equivalent of $200/barrel of oil.

The “barrel of oil equivalent” for geothermal-produced electricity is $57/barrel, and this price will be stable for 500,000 to a million years. (Geothermal is competitive with – though cheaper than – natural gas, which is $5.16 per million BTUs and breaks even with oil at $57/barrel; and nuclear power, which breaks even at $6.26 and $69).

At today’s oil prices, there is an 11 cent difference between oil- and geothermal-produced electricity. Geothermal is cheaper by far.

The Keahole plant’s capacity is 80MW, which is 80,000 kilowatts per hour. Using geothermal would save $8,800/hour, $211,200/day, and $6,336,000/month. In a year, the savings would be $76 million.

Why can’t we split the difference? Part of the savings goes to lowering rate payers bills, and the other half to retire debt?

The electric utility should not be punished for trying to achieve its renewable energy goals. But we have to realize there may be alternatives that better prepare us for the future. Let’s not lock ourselves out of these opportunities by signing a 20-year contract just because of an arbitrary time schedule.

In the end, with geothermal we would pay the oil equivalent of $57/barrel on our electric bills. If we go Aina Koa Pono’s route, we pay the equivalent of $200/barrel.

Am I missing something?

Articles, Geothermal, Where We Live

Hawaiian Airlines Article about Puna, Geothermal & Richard

1 Comment

By Leslie Lang

The August/September 2012 issue of Hana Hou! (the Hawaiian
Airlines in-flight magazine) has a good article about Puna and its geothermal energy.

Steam Dreams, by Paul Wood

It’s really an interesting article. Informative and easy to understand. I learned some things about how geothermal works:

To generate electricity, all you need to do is spin a coil of metallic threads inside a magnetic field (or, conversely, spin magnets inside a nest of metallic threads). The real question is: What force is going to do that spinning? The movement of water (cascades and tides) can turn a hydroelectric device. Wind will spin propellers. But most electricity is generated by steam, and to make steam you have to boil water. Oil, gas, coal and nuclear fuel are today’s favored methods for boiling water in power plants, and each comes with risks. But if you find natural steam in the ground, you don’t have to burn a thing because the earth has done it for you….

The article includes this quote by Wally Ishibashi (co-chair of the Geothermal Working Group with Richard), which I find thought-provoking:

What PGV doesn’t have is a huge smokestack—and that absence
is historic because Hawai‘i, though it contains zero natural deposits of fossil fuel, currently depends on oil for a whopping 90 percent of its energy. Last year the Big Island alone spent a billion dollars on oil. Wallace Ishibashi, head of the ILWU Hawai‘i chapter and a longtime proponent of geothermal, asks: “What do you think is our biggest export from Hawai‘i? Bananas? No way. Our biggest export is our own money. That billion dollars we spend on oil, we can keep that here.” Can we?…

And as a reward for reading to the end of the article, you will get to read about Richard:

In a democracy, every thorny problem needs at least one levelheaded farmer to think things through. Richard Ha served on the same Geothermal Working Group as Pat, and he too is a believer in geothermal. His thinking on it is Island-based and practical, and in fact Pat and many others regard Ha as the voice and conscience of geothermal, a citizen who has punched through the boundary between today’s energy crisis and tomorrow’s potential….

Click here to read the whole article

Community, Geothermal

Join the Big Island Community Coalition for Lowest Electricity Rates

2 Comments

Richard Ha writes:

The Big Island Community Coalition is determined to make Big Island electricity rates the lowest in the state.

Big Island Community Coalition

After all, we have the best combination of renewable resources here on the Big Island. It will proactively weigh in wherever electricity rates are involved.

The fundamental problem with the Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative is that it does not require that the electric utility choose lower cost solutions. It does not take into consideration the rubbah slippah folks.

Two-thirds of our economy is made up of consumer spending. If in place of expensive electricity we had affordable electricity, businesses would grow, farmers would farm and we would not be sending our children to the mainland to look for jobs.

Visit the Big Island Community Coalition website to join the mailing list and support the Big Island Community Coalition’s Priority #1: “Make Big Island electricity rates the lowest in the state by emphasizing the use of local resources.”

Geothermal, Peak Oil

Up, Up & Away: Our Electricity Rates Increase Again

5 Comments

Richard Ha writes:

Front page article in today's Hawaii Tribune-Herald:

HELCO seeks rate increase

By COLIN M. STEWART

Tribune-Herald Staff Writer

Hawaii Electric Light Co. has requested a 4.2 percent rate increase.

The request, which was submitted to the state Public Utilities Commission on Thursday, would generate about $19.8 million in additional revenue, but would not go into effect until 2013, at the earliest, according to a HELCO press release….

Read the rest here

I'm sure there are reasons and justifications for the rate hike. But when will it end?

We need to see a reversal in electricity costs. Why should the Big Island's electricity rates be among the highest in the whole state, when we have all these resources here? 

Geothermal, Peak Oil

My Talk at the Asia Pacific Clean Energy Summit

Richard Ha writes:

At the Asia Pacific Clean Energy Summit yesterday, I gave a bit of history about how the Geothermal Working Group Report evolved. The Big Island Labor Alliance’s geothermal committee was formed four years ago as an off-shoot of the effort to bring the Thirty Meter Telescope to the Big Island. Both projects had the same objective: To help Big Island families have a better life.

I became involved because it was all clear to me, having been to Peak Oil conferences and knowing that oil prices were probably going to keep on climbing until it became unaffordable. I had the same motivation as the Big Island Labor Alliance: To lower electricity rates for Big Island families.

Three years ago, at the request of the geothermal committee of the BILA, Senator Russell Kokubun introduced Senate Concurrent Resolution 99. It asked the question – Could geothermal be used as the primary base load electrical power for the Big Island? In the final report, the answer was yes.

The report is a consensus of all the group’s members.

You can find the final Geothermal Working Group final report on the County of Hawai‘i R & D Department website. Or on my blog.

Here is my talk:

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the working group consist of eleven members with the Mayor of Hawaii County designating the chairperson, including:

The Hawaii County Energy Coordinator, or designee, me; One member designated by Hawaii Electric Light Company, Jay Ignacio; One member designated by the Big Island Labor Alliance, co chair Wally Ishibashi; One member designated by the Hawaii Island Economic Development Board, Inc.,Barry Mizuno; One member designated by the Chairperson of the Public Utilities Commission, Big island rep came to listen; The Hawaii Island Office of Hawaiian Affairs Trustee, or designee, Bob Lindsey; One member designated by the Director of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism, Andrea Gill from the energy office; One member designated by the Chairperson of the Board of Land and Natural Resources, none; One member who is a representative of a non-profit, environmental group to be selected by the President of the Senate, Nelson Ho-Sierra Club; One member who is a representative of a cultural organization to be selected by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Patrick Kahawaiola’a-pres of the Keaukaha Community Ass’n; and One member representing West Hawaii to be selected by the Mayor of Hawaii County, Jacqui Hoover.;

SCR 99 established the Geothermal Working Group to evaluate geothermal energy as the primary source of baseload power for electricity in the County of Hawaii. An analysis of technical data and of expert testimony provides convincing rationale to develop local renewable energy plants and transition away from the county’s dependence on petroleum-fueled generators for baseload electricity. Each stage of development must consider public safety and environmental concerns. Funding for research is required to ensure that the transition never harms people, property, or wildlife and that a robust and reliable supply of energy is always available. It is critically important to the welfare of all Hawaii residents that we begin to develop local energy immediately.

Advantages of geothermal:

  • It is an indigenous resource
  • It generates revenue for the state
  • It generates community benefits
  • It provides stable power
  • It is less than half the cost of any of the renewable energy alternatives.
  • The Big Island will be over the geothermal “hot spot” for 500,000 to 1 million years

Potential adverse impacts are listed below:

– Interference with worship of the Goddess Pele

– Interference with certain Native Hawaiian practices – Rainforest destruction

– Possible health and safety impacts

– Disruption of the way of life for nearby residents

– Hydrogen sulfide and other air quality issues

– Noise

– Increased strain on an inadequate infrastructure – Impact on native fauna and flora

       IV. Recommended Steps for Hawaii State Legislators

– Make the allocation of geothermal royalties more transparent to show how benefits come back to the community. Designate the records of the allocations to be public domain.

– Establish a community advisory board to offer suggestions to the DLNR about how royalties generated by geothermal power plants are spent. The advisory board should be members of the communities that host existing or future geothermal power plants and/or those who are most impacted by the development of geothermal energy.

– Encourage the DLNR to use geothermal royalties to identify promising geothermal sites and to further develop the resource.

– In light of the probability that oil will reach $200 per barrel (Lloyds of London), the legislature is requested to commission a study to show the economic impact of various prices of oil.

– Facilitate development of geothermal with a critical review of the geothermal permitting process, regulatory capabilities, and possible investment incentives.

The Geothermal Working Group’s principal findings

– Geothermal is a renewable resource indigenous to the island of Hawaii that is dissociated from the price volatility of petroleum fuels.

– Geothermal can be a key component in a diversified energy portfolio for Hawaii County, both for the electrical grid and for transportation.

– In Hawaii, geothermal is a firm-energy resource at lower cost than fossil fuel. – Developing multiple geothermal plants is the most prudent approach.

– Geothermal has the potential to supply baseload electricity; long term reliability and the ability to supply grid management services (currently supplied by conventional fossil-fueled power plants) must be demonstrated in order to consider geothermal as the primary energy resource.

– With geothermal power plants, agricultural fertilizers, hydrogen, oxygen, and business-enterprise power can be produced for off-peak rates during the hours of curtailed electrical demand.

Comment by Robert Rapier

Or a simpler way to put it is this. It may be that the U.S. economy and America’s per capita oil consumption of 23 barrels of oil per person per year can’t grow in the face of $100 oil. But if countries like China and their 2 barrels of oil per person per year continue to grow while buying $100 oil, then we have truly entered a new paradigm. What may happen is that both China and the U.S. end up consuming 5 or 8 barrels per person per year, which could still grow China’s economy, while the U.S. gets there by shrinking ours. China’s growth is probably the most worrisome factor because we will be competing against them for global oil supplies.

In closing: The Big Island is paying some of the highest electricity rates in the state. Our communities are struggling, and yet the Big Island will be sitting over the hot spot for 500,000 to 1 million years.

What is taking us so long?

Geothermal

Speaking at the Asia Pacific Clean Energy Summit

Richard Ha writes:

At the Asia Pacific Clean Energy Summit and Expo 2012, which starts Monday in Honolulu, I’ll be part of a panel discussion where we each give a 10-minute talk, followed by questions and answers.

About the Summit and Expo

The 2012 Asia Pacific Clean Energy Summit and Expo will be held at the Hawai‘i Convention Center, August 13 – 15.

 The event is the preeminent meeting place for international leaders and energy experts at the forefront of the clean energy movement. Securing energy independence and developing a clean energy industry that promotes the vitality of our planet are two reasons why it is critical to reaffirm already established partnerships and build new ones throughout the Asia-Pacific region and the world.  The Asia Pacific Clean Energy Summit and Expo provides a forum for the high-level global networking necessary to advance this emerging clean energy culture. 

I will talk about the Geothermal Working Group, which Wally Ishibashi and I co-chaired, and the group’s Report, which recommends geothermal as the primary base power for the Big Island.
TUESDAY GEOTHERMAL SCHEDULE
10:30-12:00

Power Generation & Management – I

Geothermal: Building to Utility Scale in Hawai‘i & Other Island Communities

Chair and Moderator: Guy Toyama, Friends of NELHA (Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawai‘i Authority)

Geothermal heat is considered one the most energy efficient, environmentally clean, and cost effective systems for electricity production and temperature control. Unlike solar and wind energy, geothermal energy is always available, 24/7 and 365 days a year and the technology is proven and has been used since the Roman Empire. If geothermal energy has so many advantages, why is its use not more widespread? This panel on Geothermal Energy has gathered experts from the industry to provide insights into geothermal development in the Asia Pacific region. The program will highlight geothermal projects, technologies, policies and development and will encourage interaction and discussion about government policies, projects developed and in development, market potential and the challenges/opportunities for a developer.

Richard Ha, Geothermal Working Group
Robert Harris, The Sierra Club
Carty Chang, Hawai’i State Department of Land and Natural Resources
Jon Lorentz, AECOM-New Zealand
Andrew Sabin, Geothermal Program Office, U.S. Navy
Hyung Kee Yoon, Korea Institute of Energy Research, Korea 

Community, Geothermal, Government

County Council Vote: No Override of Mayor Kenoi’s Geothermal Bills Veto

Richard Ha writes:

The community attended the County Council meeting in force yesterday, many people wearing these buttons:

Buttons

The County Council voted NOT to override Mayor Billy Kenoi’s veto of the geothermal bills 256 & 257. This is the outcome we were hoping for.

The meeting started at 8 a.m. and about 85 people – an amazing number – testified. The meeting went all day and into the evening, and did not adjourn until 8 p.m.

There has been a real change in the dynamics of the geothermal discussion. The people who came from Leilani Estates were so passionate and determined. And they were so rational, and easily understood, and they really impressed me. They changed the tone of the conversation and struck a chord for rational discussion.

They are solid people who work everyday and have families to take care of. They were not involved until they learned this hearing was taking place and they didn’t know a thing about it. When they realized what was happening, it didn’t take any time at all for them to get organized. You could see they were determined to take their community back. It was just great.

And for the first time, Puna Geothermal employees jumped up and spoke up from their point of view, saying things like, “I wouldn’t be working for a company that wasn’t doing the right thing,” and “I’ve worked here for 23 years, and my babies are fine and healthy,” and “We’ve never known anyone at the plant that ever got hurt.”

Others testified, too, people who were not affiliated with either the Leilani Estates group or the Puna Geothermal group. I’d not heard this group join the conversation before. In general, this was a larger geothermal conversation than usual, with a more representative group of Puna folks expressing themselves.

Petra Wiesenbauer, of Leilani Estates, was one of the people involved in getting out the word to the Leilani Estates community (as were Jan Kama and Loren Avedon). Petra attended yesterday’s County Council meeting, and I asked for her take on it:

“We would like to thank everyone for their support and input. Together we were strong. Thank you also to Fred Blas, Don Ikeda, J Yoshimoto and Fresh Onishi, who voted against the override.

“I had expected a circus, but it was civil. I know a lot of the Pahoa folks and the anti-geothermal people. For the most part, we could look each other in the eye. I had several people that I talked to and we agreed that it was okay to have different opinions, and the main thing is that we respect each other as people.  

“I am very relieved that we persevered, but I also feel like we need to do some mending in the community. This is where I don’t have this triumphant feeling. The rift from this in the community is quite big and will take some time to mend. There will be big resentments, and this polarization could have been totally avoided, had the council done a better job in drafting/amending these bills. We could have all worked together on this – maybe I am too optimistic, as there are also some real radicals that won’t be reasoned with.

“I feel that most people on our side brought professionalism, common sense and also an urge to put the facts out. Although I am sure the ‘opposition’ would say the same about their position. Overall, I feel that there is work to be done, now that the immediate threat has been removed.

The Big Island Chronicle wrote about the County Council meeting here.