Honua Ola ready to address impending energy shortfall
Skip Sims鈥� recent letter, (鈥淗onua Ola will never be a good option,鈥� Feb. 1), ignores the dire realities of 91直播 Island鈥檚 energy crisis. While 鈥渘o鈥� is an easy stance, it鈥檚 not a solution for the affordable, reliable power our families and businesses need.
91直播 Island鈥檚 reserve energy supply will fall short after 2028 with the retirement of two 50-year-old fossil fuel plants, and other renewable projects will not come online until the 2030s. Honua Ola is the only new facility capable of filling the gap.
Honua Ola鈥檚 plan involves planting more local, commercially grown eucalyptus than is harvested. Unlike Mr. Sims鈥� assertion, Honua Ola鈥檚 state-of-the-art operations and emissions control systems make it significantly cleaner than using fossil fuels. This is particularly true compared to aging oil-fired power plants, which do not have advanced emission controls.
Honua Ola鈥檚 greenhouse gas analysis and sequestration plan proves its long-term environmental value. The carbon footprint of transporting on-island eucalyptus to our plant is a fraction of drilling, refining and shipping oil from halfway around the world.
As for increases in monthly electric costs, the average customer bill increased $68 in the past 10 years 鈥� without Honua Ola 鈥� largely because of volatile imported oil prices. Local biomass will provide stability against chaotic global market changes.
Honua Ola will continue to support its employees, local businesses, forestry and ag, and state and county taxes. The plant鈥檚 ownership is no different from solar, wind and geothermal projects or, for that matter, Costco. None are locally owned, yet they provide essential jobs, services and revenue for our community.
Finally, it is not true that the 91直播 Supreme Court rejected the project. The court only affirmed that the former PUC commissioners did not abuse their discretion in specific areas that Honua Ola has since addressed.
Honua Ola is 99.5% complete. It is the only new firm, renewable energy option ready to come online, rather than forcing everyone to wait 鈥� who knows how long 鈥� for other projects to even get started.
Big Island residents deserve nothing less than a reliable source of affordable energy to keep the lights on 24/7.
Warren Lee
President, Honua Ola Bioenergy
President鈥檚 behavior is 鈥榰ndignified and petty鈥�
In the article, 鈥淭rump is hosting governors at the White House, but only Republicans,鈥� in the Feb. 7 Tribune-Herald, the perfidy of this administration is magnified.
His oath of office 鈥� 鈥淚 pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all鈥� 鈥� is counter to the undignified and petty behavior of this tyrant, who is showing his worst instincts by dividing us for profit.
This behavior reminds me of the girls in high school who formed cliques in an attempt to make anyone not in the clique to be unworthy of breathing the same air.
Where are the people around him who should moderate his worst instincts?
He has destroyed the dignity of this office.
Lois Margaret Drake
Volcano