Summarized and expanded from an article by Sophie Cocke of Pacific Business News

United Power Corp. (also known as Hawaiian Interisland Renewables) which appears to be the construct of a California Engineer named Bart M. O’Keeffe, filed a preliminary permit for the project with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (click to read application) under the name of East Maui Pumped Storage Water Supply LCC. If approved, the permit allows UPC (or whatever company this is) three years to explore the North Shore project’s development — conducting feasibility and environmental studies — and priority over other companies in developing the site.

“It’s the single worst idea we have seen in a long time,” said Maui County’s energy commissioner, Doug McLeod. “This is a terrible project, and we’d like to see it die an early death.”

The $80 – $90 million project for 30 megawatts of electricity would include three dams, the highest of which would be equivalent to a 25-story building. The widest dam would span the length of about four football fields.

• Dam No. 1: 400-feet long and 250-feet high, with a 40-acre surface area.

• Dam No. 2: 1,400-feet long and 50-feet high, with a 55-acre surface area.

• Dam No. 3: 800-feet long and 200-feet high, with a 50-acre surface area.

And, ideally, it will be connected to the undersea cable being proposed for the Big Wind project, which plans to bring 400 mw of wind energy from Molokai and Lanai to Oahu.

UPC  spokesperson, Bart O’Keeffe, says he hasn’t asked anyone on Maui including HECO whether he could route the hydro energy from Maui through the undersea cable to power Oahu. But he’s planning on opening an office in Kahului in June to manage the project.

McLeod said he doubted the project’s viability, but that it should serve as a warning about companies trying to tie into the Big Wind project.

Read the entire article at Pacific Business News