The Friends of Lana’i filed a petition with the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission on Wednesday to reopen the competitive bidding process for the “Big Wind” project on Lanai and Molokai to transmit electricity via undersea cables to Oahu. The Petition The Friends of Lana’i press release: Friends of Lāna‘i (FOL) today petitioned Hawaii’s Public Utilities […]
Planning Commission Grants A&B Maui Business Park II Variance
The Planning Commission voted to give A&B Properties a special management area permit for Maui Business Park II in Kahului. Conditions include adding a two-lane road with sidewalks and a storm water treatment system. The expansion of the mixed-use, light-industrial park will be located on two properties, one behind Kmart and Costco and the other […]
Olowalu Shoreline Hardening Passes Planning Commission
Photo Courtesy of Maui News The Planning Commission approved State DOT’s request for state’s requests for a special management area permit and a shoreline setback variance to protect the highway on Lahaina side of the Pali in Olowalu. DOT will install a blanket of plastic-like fiber over the beach and shoreline and place 2-4 ton […]
HECO Wants to Keep Renewable Energy Contracts Secret
In a move toward making the costs of transitioning to clean energy more transparent to ratepayers, the state Public Utilities Commission has directed Hawaiian Electric Co. to publicly disclose pricing information negotiated for renewable-energy contracts. In the past, utility officials have disclosed pricing for some contracts, but not others. The change has affected recent applications […]
Big Island Algae Biofuel Co Changes Name
HR BioPetroleum changed its name to Cellana Inc. The company develops algae-based biofuels and bioproducts and has a 6-acre demonstration facility in Kona on the Big Island. It formed Cellana LLC as a joint venture with Royal Dutch Shell PLC and became the sole owner of Cellana LLC this January, according to the statement. Read […]
First Wind vs Pattern Energy Squabble
First Wind CEO Paul Gaynor criticizes Castle & Cooke’s decision give 200 megawatts of its wind allocation for the “Big Wind-interisland cable” project to Pattern Energy for a wind farm on Molokai. The Big Wind project seeks to bring 400 mw of wind energy from Molokai and Lanai to Oahu via an undersea cable. The […]