Developer Castle & Cooke had previously announced plans to create wind energy projects on the island of Lanai and send the electricity generated to the island of Oahu and the Hawaiian Electric Company through the use of an undersea transmission cable. However, the state of Hawaii's Public Utilities Commission has stated that they are going to open an investigation to see if this interisland cable is in the public's best interest. Chairman for the PUC, Hermina Morita, stated, "The orders reflect the need for foundational information for a strategic systems approach as we consider new renewable energy generation projects and other major infrastructure investment to bring maximum value to Hawaii's ratepayers for the long term." The Hawaiian Electric Company responded by stating, "We appreciate the additional guidance from the Public Utilities Commission. This will help us move forward to seek more renewable energy that can provide the greatest value to our customers."
Robin Kaye, the spokesman for the Friends of Lana'i group who opposes the development of a wind energy project on the island, stated, "This takes the state's energy policy out of the hands of a private developer and shifts it back to the community and the PUC. The community has advocated for years that we don't want this."
Source: Honolulu Star Advertiser, 7-13-2013, www.staradvertiser.com
Posted by Jeff Uyemura-Reyes, Broker-in-Charge, REALTOR®
Global Executive Realty, LLC
www.myhawaiihomesearch.com
www.myhawaiicondo.com
www.myhawaiidreamhome.com
Posted by Jeff Uyemura-Reyes, Broker-in-Charge, REALTOR®
Global Executive Realty, LLC
www.myhawaiihomesearch.com
www.myhawaiicondo.com
www.myhawaiidreamhome.com
