The recent PUC decision denying a HECO/Aina Koa Pono biofuel contract was a landmark decision. Kudos to the PUC for understanding precisely what was at stake. Very impressive!!
See this Big Island Video News story about the decision.
My observations:
- The process was not transparent, and people had a difficult time understanding the issues.
- Cellulosic biofuels is not proven technology, so it’s high risk.
- Filling oil tanks with long term biofuel contracts would block cheaper alternatives, like geothermal, from gaining critical mass.
- Ratepayers would have financed the risk. And ratepayers are not venture capitalists.
- Businesses would have seen their electricity rates go higher than they were with electricity generated by oil, making their products even less competitive to mainland competition. And food security would have suffered.
- Social consequences would have included fewer government services, less charitable giving and more working homeless. It would have put stress on our spirit of aloha.
We can and must do better for our future generations. As Steve Jobs always said, “We need to think different!”