More Big Wind Acrimony

Star Advertiser Opinion Piece written by Jay Fidell, of ThinkTech Hawaii, a digital media company that reports on Hawaii’s tech and energy sectors of the economy and is partially funded by HECO.   See Robin Kaye’s response below

Mike Bond Responds to Pattern Energy

Maui Tomorrow is fostering discussion on the Big Wind Project by reprinting this article by Mike Bond of I Aloha Moloka’i: As the Pattern Energy opinion piece (Hawaii well-suited for Big Wind project, Star-Advertiser, July 11) by Mr. Parquet mentions me personally I am obliged to respond. His Big Wind

Draft Bill to OK Absentee Vacation Rentals

TVRs will now be called “short-term rentals” –  specially permitted homes or condominiums with up to six rooms and located in districts that are not designated by the county for hotels or resorts. Bed-and-breakfast and short-term rental owners fall under the new commercialized residential tax rate, which is $4 for

Pattern Energy Responds to IAM

Written by David Parquet of Pattern Energy in the Star Advertiser Energy experts have shown, in numerous publicly available studies, that Big Wind can help Hawaii achieve 40 percent renewable energy by 2030, and can provide savings for ratepayers. Mike Bond, a founder of the anti-wind group I Aloha Molokai,

Kula Ridge Hearing

Hearing on the Kula Ridge project, Thursday 7/14 1:30pm Haleakala Room, Makena Beach & Golf Resort & Fri 9am

OTEC Being Revived

After a successful 1979 demonstration project using Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (exploiting ocean temperature differences to generate firm power), dropping oil prices cause interest in OTEC to wane. OTEC is back with a demonstration project at the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii at Keahole Point in Kona.  Plans are to

Maui County & Life of the Land Intervene in HECO Case

The Public Utilities Commission granted Maui County and Life of the Land intervenor status in the review of Hawaiian Electric Co.’s proposal to charge customers for a $4 million study on “Big Wind.” According to the Maui News article by Harry Eager: Henry Curtis of Life of the Land said

EPA – Shut Down Older, Dirty Coal Plants

Will this impact the Pu’unene Coal fired generator? Details of new EPA regulations, released Thursday, mandate reductions in power-plant emissions. ‘Old, decrepit plants’ without pollution controls must shut down, which some analysts say just accelerates the inevitable switchover from coal to natural gas. “New Jobs-Cleaner Air,” published by University of

Gov Hints at Big Wind Military Tie-in

According to a Civil Beat article written by Robin Kaye of Friends of Lana’i: The Governor then confirmed what many on Lana’i have long feared (but which has so far been denied) — he’s been talking with the Department of Defense about their playing a significant role in Big Wind.

NRDC: Beach Water Quality Report

Approximately 17% of National Beach Advisories/Closings Occur in Hawaii HONOLULU, HAWAII–  Pollution from stormwater runoff and sewage overflows continue to plague America’s beaches, contributing to 4,215 closing and advisory days in Hawaii and the second-highest number of closing and advisory days nationwide in more than two decades last year, according to