Tag Archives: Geothermal

Community, Geothermal, Government

Come Wednesday to Support Veto of Bill 256

Richard Ha writes:
 
Humans are very well-adapted to low levels of hydrogen sulfide. The bacteria that generate hydrogen sulfide live in the human gut. And our volcano generates tons of sulfur dioxide every day. It’s rising electricity rates that are causing real damage to our people.
Here’s an email from those wanting to uphold Mayor Kenoi’s veto of Bill 256. Please come down to the County Council chambers, at the County Building (map of 25 Aupuni St., Hilo here), this Wednesday (August 1, 2012) at 8 a.m. Even if you can only stay for a short time, please come and show your support.

I support these folks that live in the vicinity of the geothermal plant. Here’s their email:

It has been a busy time for all of us in preparation of the final push to up-hold the Mayor’s Veto of Bill 256. This is where we really need your help.
1.   For your information: We had a very good meeting and turn-out on Tuesday night at the Leilani Community Center: hamakuasprings.com/2012/07/very-successful-meeting-on-geothermal-facts.
2.   The county council meeting to override the mayoral veto is scheduled for Wednesday, August 1, 2012. This is where we need as much help as possible.
You can submit written testimony by e-mail up until the day prior to the meeting (it has to be received by Tuesday noon, July 31). Please submit your email testimony to counciltestimony@co.hawaii.hi.us
To submit written testimony by e-mail, you can also e-mail each council member individually: 
Dominic Yagong –                  dyagong@co.hawaii.hi.us
Donald Ikeda –                       dikeda@co.hawaii.hi.us
J Yoshimoto –                         jyoshimoto@co.hawaii.hi.us
Dennis “Fresh” Onishi –          donishi@co.hawaii.hi.us
Fred Blas –                             fblas@co.hawaii.hi.us 
Brittany Smart –                     bsmart@co.hawaii.hi.us
Brenda Ford –                         bford@co.hawaii.hi.us
Angel Pilago –                        apilago@co.hawaii.hi.us
Pete Hoffmann –                    phoffmann@co.hawaii.hi.us  
But what we really would like is for as many people as possible to come to the county council meeting in Hilo on August 1, to testify in person and to show our strength in numbers. The council needs to see that we are not just a silent small group, but that there are many of us.  It makes a difference, even if you are able to come for an hour.
When you come to the council meeting, you can read the testimony you submitted by email.  If you have not emailed the testimony, they ask that you bring 14 copies of it and give it to the clerk that day.
The council meeting starts at 8am. Please be early, so we can have good seats and testify early.
When you come to the council meeting room, check in with us at the VETO SUPPORTERS & LEILANI ESTATES signs – look for signs.
Contents of your testimony – some suggestions:
The Mayor asked that we get employees and nearby residents to come out and support his veto, with the primary emphasis that there are no health issues that exist, and that the plant has been operating safely, hence no reason for a buffer zone.  While we hope the veto will  not be overridden, there is still a need for publicizing the fact that long time residents are opposed to the bill for these reasons, and the fact that this is an issue which has been unnecessarily politicized.
As for what to say,  we are not going to write this out, since everyone’s experience is different, but this would be along the lines of their positions on certain issues such as
1.   Where their residence is.
2.   How long they have lived there.
3.   The fact that they have not had health problems they attribute to the plant, and there is no scientific or medical information which supports the creation of a one mile buffer.
4.   That creating a health and safety buffer radius of one mile is unjustified, and creates issues for people who have chosen to live and work in this radius, including concerns about property values.
5.   That this bill will create additional cost for the county in many areas.
6.   That health studies and monitors can be purchased with Asset Fund money without taking from community benefits, under the code and rules which already existed, before Bill 256 and 257.
7.   That until these hearings were held and the manner in which they were held, people did not complain about PGV, and politics and misinformation has created an unwarranted concern.
These are just suggested issues or concerns the vetoed bills raise, and others may have more to say or add.
3.    Please, share this information and request for support with all your friends and people in your networks.

See you there!

Much Aloha and Mahalo Nui Loa,
Petra, Jan & Loren
Geothermal

Our Expensive Big Island Electric Bills

1 Comment

Richard Ha writes:

Geothermal energy costs half what oil does to generate electricity – yet our electric bills on the Big Island are 25 percent higher than they are on O‘ahu.

This is unacceptable.

The Big Island’s rate is close to 43 cents kWh, while on O‘ahu it is close to 33 cents per kWh.

At a minimum, our electric bills should be equal to those on O‘ahu.

There are a thousand reasons why NO CAN. We are looking for the one reason why CAN!

Community, Geothermal, Peak Oil

Very Successful Meeting on Geothermal Facts

2 Comments

Richard Ha writes:

Approximately 100 people showed up last night at the Leilani Estate Community Center to learn the facts about geothermal energy.

July 2012 030

Some of the testimony – from folks who have worked at the geothermal facility, as well as those who live close by – was especially impactful. 

I took 10 minutes to talk about a danger we are facing: Rising oil prices. If we have sincere dialogue among all the parties, we can start to see that rising oil prices will threaten our social fabric – and most of all, our spirit of aloha. And maybe we can do something about it. But we don’t have the luxury of time.

July 2012 026

Why can’t we, here on the Big Island, have lower electricity rates than O‘ahu? It would lessen pressure on the most vulnerable families, help farmers compete, help businesses create more jobs and prevent the export of our most precious resource – our children.

Mike Kaleikini, Plant Manager of Puna Geothermal Venture, talked about the history of geothermal production, mitigation measures and safety regulations. Mike has a way of explaining complex issues that is easy to understand.

Don Thomas gave a talk about the technical side of the H2S issue, which had a big impact on the audience. Both Mike and Don are very credible, as they have actual, real-life experience and speak about facts that are verifiable.

I would say the crowd was 70 to 30 percent for geothermal. But it isn’t a matter of “us” against “them.” It was the discussion and sharing of information that was most important. At some point, I hope soon, we can come to grips with the larger issues of rising prices, and how we can maximize our resources in a smart and responsible way.

July 2012 030

To cap things off, Mayor Billy Kenoi showed up after the mayoral candidate debate in Pahoa concluded. He did a good job of explaining, in a commonsense way, why there is no need for the council bill. It is redundant and adds problems that are unnecessary.

July 2012 030

All attending were Councilman Fred Blas as well as Representative Faye Hanohano.

Late last night we received a note from Petra Wiesenbauer, Jan Kama and Loren Avedon, who organized the meeting:

Richard, Mike, and Don,

Mahalo for an outstanding presentation tonite to the residents of Leilani Estates and community members.  There were many comments after the meeting that people had a better understanding of how the plant operates and its impact on the community.  Whether or not they understand the difference between H2S and SO2 is questionable, but at least they feel more comfortable knowing that they are not as much at risk as they thought. 

And Petra Wiesenbauer, who lives in and runs a B&B in Leilani Estates, sent along some further comments of her own about the meeting (as well as the photos in this post):

I think it was an extremely good meeting last night. I am so proud of everybody for staying focused and respectful.

Don Thomas was absolutely excellent. It was so good to have him there with all the numbers of emissions, comparisons of different regions and being able to putting things into perspective, i.e., the Volcano blasting out 600 to 1,000 tons of stuff every day. He was able to dismantle some of the myths and clear up rumors and anxieties.

Mike was really, really good, too in making transparent what is going on at the plant and the strict restrictions they are under in regards to their monitoring, their chemicals and general equipment maintenance.

That the Mayor was able to come at the end was an added bonus and gave the whole meeting a great finale.

I talked to Jeff Melrose a little and he said, that they are working on a brochure/informational materials about disaster response/evacuation, safety and other community concerns regarding geothermal development. He is such a great guy as well and so knowledgeable about all the Big Island planning and land dealings. He thought it was the best meeting he has been to in a long time about this whole controversy and he thought it was amazing, that something like that had not been done much earlier.

I give so much credit for the course of the evening to Loren [Avedon], our moderator. He was great and made sure there were no lengthy statements, self indulgence, lamentations and other behaviors from any of the audience that could have been counterproductive to the outcome of the meeting.

 The whole meeting came about as a result of this note that had been sent around about the July 19th County Council meeting:

“There was something odd about today’s County Council meeting…all of us testifying at the Pahoa office were in opposition to the legislation, with the exception of three people.  Apparently the anti-geothermal group had received word that the bills would be postponed for 30 days.”

Those of us who attended the County Council meeting to override the Mayor veto of Bill 256 were prepared for more than 100 folks picketing the County building, and protesting loudly. But no one showed up.

The email back and forth resulted in someone asking me to post their testimony on my blog, which I did. Then on the 22nd, this note was sent around:

 “We would actually love to take you up on your offer to come here and give a talk to interested residents here in Leilani. It would be a good way to also promote the petition http://www.change.org/petitions/hawaii-county-council-petition, and therefore it would be great to do it as soon as possible. We were wondering if you had time on Tuesday at around 6:30pm. If not any other day that is convenient for you just let us know?”

By the next day, I had confirmed that Don Thomas, Wally Ishibashi and Mike Kaleikini would attend. All this happened really quickly.

With only two days notice, 100 people showed up, standing room only. I was amazed.

• Here is a recent Civil Beat article, titled “Arguments Against Geothermal Are ‘Absurdly Elitest,’ Says Scientist.

• You can still sign the Hawaii County Council petition here, which asks:

We humbly ask you to sign our petition before July 30th, 2012 asking the County Council of Hawaii to honor the Mayor’s veto of Bill 256, Draft 2. The bill would allow the County to create a one-mile safety buffer zone around the Puna Geothermal Power Plant. [Read more at the link]

Geothermal, Government

Another Resident Speaks Out re: Bills 256 & 257

5 Comments

Richard Ha writes:

Another resident who lives near Puna Geothermal Venture and her testimony against Bills 256 and 257:

My name is Denise Fleming. I stand before you to speak on behalf of my partner Randall Brady and myself. We live about a mile from the PGV boundary in a house we built, own free and clear, and have lived in since 2007.

Mahalo to Chairman Yagong and the Hawaii County Council members who insist on an override for making this hassle necessary, and a sincere mahalo to our fellow taxpayers who made this teleconference to voice our displeasure with the override effort possible.

WITH ALL DUE RESPECT TO THE OFFICE HOLDERS WHO SUPPORT OVERRIDING THE VETOED BILLS 256 & 257 WATCHING THESE PROCEEDINGS:

If playing election year politics throughout your service in office were halted, Big Island residents could experience measurable improvements in their lives.

There are several obvious measures our elected officials could enact immediately to improve life for ALL Big Island residents. Instead, some council members devote their time, and measure their legislative success, by the number of bills they introduce and pass to create laws and regulations; prohibitions and mandates. This generally results in HIGHER costs and LOWER living standards and expectations, along with poorer services and restricted freedoms every time the Council takes a vote. 

Your time in office could be put to better use.

Example #1:
My partner and I built a house off Kapoho Road and moved into it in 2007. It took us nearly 4 frustrating years to get our road named (a requirement) and an official numbered address (also a requirement) …clearly a longstanding and ongoing potential health, safety and security concern for the numerous rural homeowners unaffiliated with homeowner associations and/or subdivisions island wide. Streamlining the lengthy process and clearing out the backlog of assigning house numbers for homes located on unnamed back roads would be a significant service to rural residents.

Example # 2:
Adopting a Big Island-appropriate common sense residential building code for Hawaii County residents, instead of adopting the budget-busting, unaffordable, one-size-fits-all approach from the wizards of smart at Command Central Planning in Washington, D.C. would also be a great improvement.

THIS brings us around to the vetoed Bills 256 & 257. Wisely allocated and carefully monitored, the geothermal asset funds could help to address issues unique to our Lower Puna ohana. This could include, (in ADDITION to relocation and monitoring air quality and health), community improvements, recreational facilities and evacuation sites in the event of fires, floods or other major natural disasters in our rural community.

Presenting residents with POSITIVE ALTERNATIVES, as opposed to designating a proposed 1- mile PGV buffer zone, resulting in downgrading our neighborhoods into a blighted wasteland and destroying property values and living standards WELL BEYOND the buffer zone would be vastly preferable to turning our entire community into a no-man’s-land.

An alternative plan..

OCCUPY THE BUFFER ZONE! 

Subsidized electric service, property taxes or other incentives that would encourage residents to choose to remain in the area and mitigate any nuisance involved with living near the geothermal plant would be using the geothermal relocation/community benefits fund for the positive purpose it was originally designed.

The geothermal asset funds are intended to BENEFIT the residents of Lower Puna… not to violate our rights, divide our community and erode our living standards and property values. It is wrong to use the funds for the exclusive advantage of one segment of the community which would result in the destruction of the entire community. It is an example of injustice, a violation of trust and an abuse of power. Shame on those who would would attempt to resurrect Bills 256 & 257. It would be an unwise choice to make for your future career advancement. 
It is not pono.

Mahalo for your attention.

Geothermal, Government

Testimonials re: Geothermal Bills 256 & 257

7 Comments

Richard Ha writes:

Yesterday there was a County Council meeting, which was called to address the Mayor’s veto of Bills 256 and 257, both related to geothermal.

Eleven folks testified at the Hilo Council chambers and 10 at the Pahoa facility. In Hilo, all were in favor of supporting the Mayor’s veto, and in Pahoa all but three supported it.

We were all puzzled as to why so few members of the opposition showed up. Later we learned that a day before the meeting, the opposition had been notified there would not be a vote. The vote was postponed until August 1st.

The following testimonials are from residents of Leilani Estates, a subdivision that is within a mile of the Puna Geothermal Venture facility. Among much more, they say that some of the folks making claims do not live in the neighborhood, and that they do not know any neighbors who have gotten sick from the geothermal plant.

Here are three testimonials from Leilani Estates residents:

***

I was pleased to hear that the Mayor had vetoed bills 256 and 257 which had somehow made it through the County Council. Now, according to the newspaper at least, the chairman is intending to bring both of these up with the hope of overriding the veto. My opinion, that I have previously stated both in written testimony and in person, is that Bill 256 is incomplete at best and bill 257 is unnecessary.

Bill 256 has been presented to appease a group of activists, many of whom do not even live in the community close to the PGV, which I do live in. It was written using anecdotal comments, hearsay, and with no real science to support it. Bill 257 was written with no regard to the advice from the very agency tasked with creating it. Just why should the County say that one business needs a site specific plan and not another when the responsible department feels that existing evacuation plans are sufficient?

Please, do not:

End Community Benefits funding

Create a poorly defined Buffer Zone

Buy and Condemn perfectly good homes in a thriving subdivision.

De-value my property.

Use County resources unnecessarily.

Legislate in a vacuum, without either medical or scientific data supporting these actions.

Create redundant and unnecessary plans for an unlikely, worst-case scenario.

As I read the existing law there exists a method for increased monitoring and data accumulation. Why don’t you try to find the answers, find the justification for any changes to the law rather than barging ahead based on emotion or, god forbid, politics. I understand that Council members compromise and trade support for each other and that is fine, that’s how it works. But now is the time to get this issue off of the front page and turn your attention to the real issues.

Jay & Sara Bondesen
Leilani Estates

***

My name is Petra Wiesenbauer and I am asking you to not override the mayor’s veto on bill 256, draft 2.
My family and I have lived in Leilani Estates for the past 14 years and are active participants in the Leilani and Pahoa Community. We are registered voters, vote in each election and are very interested in the development, improvements and growth of this local community and economy. We have two children, 7 and 9, who both go to Christian Liberty Academy in Keaau. We own and operate a successful Bed & Breakfast, located on the corner of Makamae and Kahukai Street.
Our B&B is licensed and legally permitted with a Special Use Permit from the County of Hawaii and we have worked hard to build it up to a viable business with a revenue that we pay GE and TA taxes on. Petra runs the B&B and John works full-time for Willocks Construction Corporation. Before coming to the Leilani Estates, we have lived in many places in Europe, the continental US and 2 years on Oahu. But where we are now, is our home and we are vested in this community. Our business is our main source of income and is part of our retirement plan.
The reason we are asking you to vote against bill 256, draft 2 and not override the Mayoral veto is the creation of the one-mile safety buffer zone, in which the County would offer to buy up properties that then would be left uninhabited. We are extremely concerned about this aspect, as we feel, that a decision like this needs to be based on clear scientific evidence of an apparent health threat for the area.
Since there have been no systematic health studies conducted in the past for this area, setting the safety buffer zone at one mile or any distance is completely arbitrary. In our opinion, legislation has to be based on clear facts and not anecdotal evidence. Many of the people testifying in this process against geothermal energy do not live anywhere near the power plant. How can they prove that there health conditions are brought on by the PGV? We live in the one-mile zone and have no health issues at all that we would be able to trace back to the plant. We have friends that have worked at the plant for many years and there is nothing wrong with their health.
We understand what happened during the blow-out of the well in 1991 and are horrified by the affects to the population around the plant back then. However, 21 years later things have changed: Technology is far advanced and safety measures are very strict. In the 14 years we have lived less than 1 mile away from the plant, we have not had any health consequences, dizziness, respiratory problems or weakness that could be contributed to exposure to toxic gases. We know, what pollution, including sulfur looks and smells like, having lived in places, where this is a daily occurrence.
In fact going over to the Kona side is an example of being exposed to bad air through the vog. Never have we felt around our home and community what we feel in Kona: dizziness, headaches and numbness. Before a decision can be made to condemn this area around the plant we ask you to make sure, that there will be evidence gathered systematically and not anecdotally, independent health studies conducted and further research done. We gladly volunteer to participate.
Condemning this area and establishing the one-mile buffer zone at this point would mean that property values are negatively impacted and insurance (homeowners and liability) will either get more expensive or will no longer be available. Without liability insurance we would have to shut down our business. If this bill passes we may lose all of our investment into our home and business, and we would never be able to sell our business someday in the future. We have invested our lifesavings into our business and home and have worked extremely hard. This bill would kill our small business. This area here will be made a ghost area with vacant homes, squatters and drug houses moving in. The economy around Pahoa will take another detrimental hit.
The State Legislature recently passed several bills with changes to the Hawaii State Planning Act to include the development of geothermal energy resources on State Land and it amended the Hawaii State Planning Act to include promoting the development of geothermal energy resources that are located on State Land as a source of firm power to reduce the cost of electricity. Hawaii has the strictest air monitoring standards for geothermal activities in our country, and in fact in the world. Geothermal Energy is an alternative energy, that is available on this island and it would be insane not to use it. It is a matter of making it as safe as possible and passing the benefits of this less expensive energy on to the customers.

 

Petra Wiesenbauer

***

Aloha Hawaii County Council Members,

My name is Loren Avedon I live in Leilani Estates Puna, and have for the last 3 years.  I am writing this testimony is in support of the mayors veto of Bill 256, Draft 2, the legislation to amend Chapter 2 article 36 of the Hawaii County code, the Geothermal Relocation and Community Benefits Fund.

Bill 256 does not represent the “best use” of these funds for many reasons as stated in the Mayor’s veto.

The truth is that a number of homes have been built within a one mile radius after the plant was operational, with full knowledge of the geothermal plant, and its relocation fund.

There is no evidence of any health related issues from the geothermal plant, nor is there evidence that a 1 mile “buffer zone” is necessary.  I live approximately on the border of the proposed “buffer zone” and I wish to report that since living in Leilani estates my health has actually improved, and I know not one of my neighbors who are affected by the Geothermal Plant.

Where is the scientific evidence of the need for this 1 mile buffer zone?  The answer is there is none.  If there is then GPV is clearly endangering the public welfare. So then what is the basis for this Bill?  Is it to cover up the truth?

Offering 130% of assessed value for the properties would be a fiasco for the county financially, the fund would quickly be depleted just buying homes and property.  Where will the additional money come from?  What agency will manage those properties?  What use will the county make of that land deemed uninhabitable?  How will that affect future property values in the area as well as the county’s ability to allow more test drilling for future geothermal power plant locations?  There are plans to drill in West Hawaii, what will happen to those properties and their usability?

This bill is a terrible idea, for the reasons stated in Mayor Kenoi’s Veto.  This bill will create more debt and deplete the county’s tax revenue base by making it law!?  It just doesn’t make any sense?

I know for a fact that you will ruin my property value, as well as your ability to tax more than 1000 lots in the Leilani subdivision.  I expect that if this bill passes it will go to the Hawaii Supreme court for many reasons.  In addition I am sure that the remainder of our subdivision will file suit for loss of use, and the county’s negligence in allowing a hazardous activity to be conducted so close to any human population.  What evidence of this hazardous activity will for the basis of this suit?  It will be the bill signed into law by the county council of Hawaii without any evidence and consideration of future impact.

The county council is setting itself for allot of problems with this legislation, and showing poor judgment and instilling “no confidence” in its leadership decision to support this bill. If the council makes this law, not only will you ruin me, but you will ruin the trust I have in your leadership and most likely raise red flags for any future industries that wish to do business in Hawaii. That may cause the county’s bond rating to drop, cause more deficit spending, and further cripple our financial future for all of Hawaii county.

I feel that to expand the relocation program to anyone who moved there knowingly, is a huge mistake and a waste of the County’s funds and bad for the future of Hawaii county.

Please uphold the Mayor’s veto against Bill 256, Draft 2, the legislation to amend the Geothermal Relocation and Community Benefits Fund.

Thank you again for the opportunity to submit written testimony and for your careful consideration of this matter.

Loren Avedon
Leilani Estates, Hawaii

Geothermal

Why County Council Shouldn’t Override the County Bill 256 Veto

5 Comments

Richard Ha writes: 

I'd like to share with you a letter to the editor I submitted to the local newspapers. It's about the recent County Bill 256. I wrote about it here. The bill passed, but then was vetoed by Mayor Billy Kenoi. Tomorrow the Council meets and will discuss trying to override the veto.

I wrote this letter because I think it's very important to have a solid base of facts to start off with. We need to give ourselves some time to really think about these issues, in order to make good decisions.

I remember so clearly what Kumu Lehua Veincent told me early on. He said, "What about the rest?" And that's what I think is so important here. Oil prices are rising, and there are plenty of people just barely getting by with high electricity rates and other, related, rising costs. We need to worry about the rest.

Dear Editor,

I feel strongly that the County Council should not override the Mayor’s recent veto of geothermal bills before we understand the issues better.

Even the homeowners’ association in Leilani Estates, a subdivision near Puna Geothermal Venture, supports the Mayor’s veto. We agree we must take a systematic and scientific look at the situation before making far-reaching decisions.

Did you know?

No scientific study done anywhere in the world, ever, has shown that hydrogen sulfide levels such as exist in Puna produce the negative effects anecdotally claimed by some.

Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) comes primarily from chemical and bacterial action in the earth. Bacteria even produces hydrogen sulfide in the human gut.

In Hawai‘i, we monitor for two different levels of H2S. 

1) The Hawai‘i State Department of Health (DOH) regulates H2S at "nuisance levels,” which is defined as what one can smell. The human nose can pick up the H2S smell at about 5 parts per billion. 

2) The Office of Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) regulates H2S "safety levels." According to OSHA, it’s safe for workers to spend 40 hours per week around H2S when levels are at or below 10,000 parts per billion. This is far, far below levels considered unsafe (which are measured in parts per million, not billion) 

Some other facts:

• Many millions of people around the world spend their vacation time and money on health spas and onsens that use water heated via geothermal action. During these vacations for health and well being, they are exposed to levels of H2S much higher than Puna residents have experienced in 99.99 percent of their time in Puna.

• Ambient levels of H2S in residential Rotorua, New Zealand, are routinely 100 to 1000 times higher than the level our DOH regulates for.

• In personally observing Iceland and the Philippines’ geothermal operations, I was interested to note that Hawai‘i is much, much stricter about regulating hydrogen sulfide.

• Even the “blowout” at PGV that happened some years ago was within OSHA’s safety levels. OSHA’s permitted H2S exposure – up to 10,000 parts per billion for eight hour days, five days a week – is the equivalent of 2800 ppb continuously over 24 hours, indefinitely, and this is about what was detected at the perimeter of PGV during the "blowout." The long-term, ambient H2S average in Puna, near the geothermal facility, is closer to 2 ppb. 

• The Hawaii State DOH has said that there are no health issues related to emissions of H2S at PGV.

We need to base our decisions and laws on the facts, not unsubstantiated fears.

Richard Ha
Hamakua Springs Country Farms

Biofuel, Geothermal

The Farmer’s Point of View (on Geothermal & Biofuels)

3 Comments

Richard Ha writes:

I recently participated in a panel discussion at the Hawaii State Association of Counties conference, which was held at the Hapuna Prince Hotel. I was on the Renewable Energy panel to present the farmer’s point of view.

HSAC

Panel members, left to right: Jay Ignacio, President of HELCO; Joe Pontanilla, Vice Chair of Maui County Council; Mina Morita, Chair of the PUC; me; The Honorable Patricia Talbert, IDG

Here’s what I talked about:

I have attended four Association for the Study of Peak Oil (ASPO) conferences on the mainland. I went to learn about oil so I could position our farm business for the future. The most important thing I learned from my first trip was that the world had been using twice as much oil as it had been finding for the last 20 to 30 years. Clearly this was not good, and would have consequences.

A concept I picked up was Energy Return on Investment (EROI), sometimes called EROEI – Energy Returned on Energy Invested. It answers the question: What is the net energy left over after energy is used to get it? Said another way, the energy left over to get energy minus the energy it takes to get your food gives you your lifestyle.

In the 1930s, getting 100 barrels of oil took the energy of 1 barrel.

In the 1930s, 100 to 1
In the 1970s, 30 to 1
Now, it’s approximately 10 to 1

Canadian tar sands is  5 to 1
Biofuels is 2 to 1 (or less)

It takes approximately 6 to 1 to maintain our present, oil-based infrastructure.

Hot steam geothermal, like we have on the Big Island, might be 15 to 1. And its EROI will not decline for 500,000 years. Very few in the world are so fortunate.

Carl Bonham, head of UH Economic Research Organization (UHERO), was in Hilo recently for a Bank of Hawaii presentation. I asked him: If we were to use geothermal as our primary electrical base power for the Big Island, would we become more competitive to the rest of the world? He said yes.

Geothermal benefits all Big Islanders, from the rubbah slippah folk to the shiny shoe ones. It means more jobs and more money in people’s pockets.

What about growing biofuel?

Biofuel is traded on the world market. So we are in competition with producers the world over. The bottom line is that the producer with the best competitive advantages will have the most competitively priced product. When growing fuel crops, the best set of circumstances occurs when the production is concentrated an equal distant from the processing plant. A circular model works best. Intense sun energy, flat land and deep fertile soil with good irrigation gives one good advantages. These qualities rarely occur on the Big Island at the scale necessary for our farmers to compete on the world market.

What about small agriculture? When oil is $100 per barrel, each pound of that oil is worth 38 cents. If a farmer needs to grow 4 pounds of stuff to squeeze out 1 lb. of liquid, the most that farmer can expect is 9 and 1/2 cents per pound to grow the stuff.

Everything being equal, any farmer would prefer to grow something that makes more than 9 and 1/2 cents per pound.

Several years ago on the mainland, there were cellulosic biofuel projects that needed farmer-grown feedstock that cost no more than $45 per ton. But farmers were getting $100 per ton for hay. So they received a subsidy of $45 per ton.

In spite of that, and many many millions of dollars of subsidies, there is still no successful cellulosic biofuel project In Hawaii, farmers get $200 to $300 for hay. It’s unlikely they would choose to grow something for half the return. It’s all about numbers.

What about Big Island biodiesel? Although it’s challenging, I do think they have the best chance of enabling farmer-grown biofuels. They have a model that works. All they have to do is tell farmers the form they want the product delivered to them and the price they will pay. Enterprising farmers will figure it out.

What can we do to help farmers make money? We can start with affordable electricity. And there is nothing more affordable than geothermal. On the Big Island, it costs 21 cents per kilowatt hour to generate electricity from oil. It costs half that to generate electricity from geothermal. While the price of oil will keep on rising, geothermal energy will stay stable for hundreds of thousands of years.

Farmers and ranchers incur costs associated with refrigeration at the processing plants, the distribution system, retailers and home refrigerators. If farmers and ranchers have lower costs, they can compete more successfully against mainland imports. And if their customers have more money in their pockets, they can support locally grown foods.

Food security and fuel are closely tied together. Food security involves farmers farming. And if farmers make money, farmers will farm.

Geothermal

Hawaii Volcano Observatory on Geothermal for the Big Island

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This “Volcano Watch” article, written by the Hawaii Volcano Observatory for the Hawaii Tribune-Herald, discusses geothermal on Hawai‘i Island and the importance of balancing geothermal’s considerable benefits with its potential risks.

VOLCANO WATCH: HVO weighs-in on geothermal development

June 28, 2012 

HAWAII VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK, Hawaii: This week’s Volcano Watch article delves into geothermal development on Hawaii Island.

The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory has been somewhat quiet during the latest push for geothermal resource development.  This article does not endorse or oppose it, and it stays clear of hotly debated topics like community health, consumer cost benefit, or allotted royalties.

The article does urge caution, however, focusing on the island’s volcanic hazards, and the impact they could have on the potential energy boon to the Aloha State. Read the rest here

When we visited Iceland, we were shown an old diesel generator that had been in standby mode since the 1970s.

We would do the same thing here. As geothermal sites went online, our previous plants could be remain in standby mode. As additional, geographically dispersed, geothermal plants came online, the plants on standby could gradually be decommissioned.

Geothermal

County Bill 256 is Premature

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Richard Ha writes:

I testified against County Bill 256, draft 2, which alters the geothermal royalty funded-Geothermal Relocation and Community Benefits program, takes away community benefits, and creates a one-mile “buffer zone” around the Puna Geothermal Venture plant.

It passed, though. Now it is up to the Mayor to sign it or not.

This bill is premature. I don’t believe we have come to grips with the facts about the true nature of hydrogen sulfide, and what its dangers are or are not. We need to take a step back and evaluate the issue more thoroughly.

Hawai‘i’s Department of Health (DOH) regulates H2S at “nuisance levels,” which are defined as “what you can smell.” The human nose can pick up the H2S scent at 5 parts per billion or so.

The Office of Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) regulates Hydrogen Sulfide to “safety levels,” which they define as 10,000 parts per billion. At this level, workers are allowed to work for 8 hours per day, 40 hours per week.

Here are some things to consider:

1) Around the world, several million people every year choose to go to health spas/onsens, where they are exposed to much higher levels of H2S than any member of the public has been exposed to for 99.99% of the time in Puna.

2) Ambient levels of H2S in downtown Rotorua, New Zealand, are routinely 100 times to 1000 times higher than the levels Hawai‘i’s DOH regulates for.

3)  OSHA allows H2S exposure as high as 10,000 parts per billion for eight hour days, five days a week. That’s the equivalent of 2800 ppb continuously over 24 hours, indefinitely. Whereas the long-term, ambient H2S average in Puna, near the geothermal facility, is closer to 2 ppb.

4)  No study done anywhere, ever, has shown that Puna’s exposure levels have ever produced the negative effects that are antecdotally claimed.

5) I’ve been to Iceland and to the Phillipines to see their geothermal operations, and have learned that Hawaii is much, much stricter about regulating Hydrogen Sulfide than those countries are.

Here is the testimony I submitted against County Bill 256, draft 2:

Aloha Chair Yagong:

I recommend that the council vote no to Bill 256, Draft 2 affecting Puna homeowners. Take the time to truly understand the issue. It needs to be scientifically based. The Leilani Estate Board is against this bill. 

The Dept. of Health regulates to a much higher standard than Iceland or the Phillipines. We do not allow open venting.

The Dept. of Health says that there are no health safety issues with PGV. It regulates to “nuisance” standards. This standard is an order of magnitude greater than “health safety” standards. 

H2S generally results from two main sources–organic material from bacterial action and chemically from interaction of magmatic material. Tens of thousands of oil and gas wells on the mainland deal with H2S everyday.

The bacteria that generates H2S also  live in the gut of humans. The human nose can pick up H2S to 5 parts per billion–the same level that the Dept of Health regulates to. 

There have been testimony that people have become dizzy and disoriented and that animals have been affected. But, at levels this low, it is difficult to identify exactly where the H2S originated. I believe that we need to take a step back and look at this very methodically.

Sincerely,

Richard Ha
Hamakua Springs

Geothermal, Philippines

Report on Delegation to Ormoc City, Philippines

In late March, I went to the Philippines with a County of Hawai‘i delegation.

The visit, which cost less than $30,000, was worth every penny. I give Mayor Kenoi credit for having the foresight and determination to move Hawai‘i Island toward energy self-sufficiency.

Here’s the Report on the Hawai‘i County Economic Development Mission to Ormoc City, Republic of the Philippines:

March 22, 2012 – March 29, 2012
A delegation representing the County of Hawai‘i, leaders in Hawai‘i Island’s agriculture and energy industries, and the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo, traveled to Leyte Island in the Republic of the Philippines on an eight day mission to achieve three primary objectives:
  1. Sister City reciprocal visit and official signing ceremony with Ormoc City officials. 
  2. Economic development fact finding tour of Leyte’s extensive geothermal energy generation facilities.
  3. Economic development fact finding tour of Visayas State University agriculture programs and area farms to observe how the industry advances regional food sustainability.

 Read the report here.