The Kaʻū Calendar News Briefs, Hawaiʻi Island: Ka‘ū News Briefs, Saturday, June 25, 2022

Purchasing more affordable alternative energies from sources like the Tawhiri windfarm at South Point, could have been displaced with approval of the Hu Honua Power plant, said the Public Utilities Commission. On Friday, the PUC once again rejected burning trees for power at the Hu Honua plant, which would use eucalyptus from Kaʻū and elsewhere. Photo by Peter Anderson

THE BIOFUEL PLANT THAT WOULD HAVE USED EUCALYPTUS GROWN IN KAʻŪ and beyond was rejected by the Public Utilities Commission on Friday. Hu Honua, also known as Honua Ola, which would have trucked eucalyptus logs from Kaʻū and other places to the coast north of Hilo to burn in a power plant to make electricity for Hawaiian Electric, resubmitted its proposal to the PUC after the state Supreme Court rejected it in May. On Friday, PUC Chair Jay Griffin, with PUC member Jane Porter denied a motion for reconsideration, along with a requested hearing on the project and rejected the proposal outright.

The eucalyptus trees that grew behind these cattle at Kapapala Ranch
were cut down and stockpiled for the biofuel plant that was
rejected by the PUC on Friday. Photo by Julia Neal

Commissioner Leodoloff Assuncion abstained. Hu Honua was given 30 days to make an appeal to the state Supreme Court.
Henry Curtis, of Life of the Land, who has led the efforts before the PUC and in court against Hu Honua, issued. statement saying, "Hu Honua Proposed extremely expensive electricity that would release high levels of greenhouse gases."
Warren Lee, Hawaiʻi County's former Department of Public Works administrator, is President of Honua Ola. He issued a statement saying the company is "in the right on this issue and we owe it to our employees who have stuck with us, and to the Big Island residents who support Honua Ola's commitment to provide clean, renewable energy.” He said the company may appeal to the Hawaiʻi Supreme Court.
A main argument in the PUC's decision is the higher cost of the electricity made by burning trees than from geothermal, solar, wind and other sources alternative to oil, suggesting that Hu Hunoa could displace the cheaper alternative energies. The PUC noted that Hawaiian Electric has stated that it does not need the electricity from Hu Honua. Its decision also pointed to greenhouse gas emissions from the biofuel factory and questioned Hu Hunoa's estimates on carbon sequestration.

Hu Honua rallied unions to come to its support for the biofuel plant that would have used eucalyptus

grown in Kaʻū and elsewhere. Photo form Hu Honua

Hu Honua has long argued that it is needed in the portfolio of Hawaiʻi Island energy produces for energy security. Its recent posts on its website notes that soaring cost of energy, due to skyrocketing oil prices, suggesting that its cost may become acceptable soon. It also has argued that it provides local jobs and unions have organized to rally behind its project.

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AN INCREASE IN SEIZURES OF THE DEADLY DRUG FENTANYL during criminal investigations is noted in a warning from this island's Hawaiʻi Police Department. Issued on Friday, the statement points to Hawaiʻi Island being responsible for more than half the drug seized in the state in 2021.

The HPD statement says, "We’re seeing more arrests and more fentanyl recovered. Prior to 2020, annual statewide seizures of fentanyl were less than one pound, but from 2020 to 2021 Hawaiʻi Island was responsible for roughly 30 pounds of the state's overall 53 pounds of fentanyl seizures.
“The increase is troubling because very small amounts of the fentanyl, sometimes an amount equivalent to a few grains a salt, can be fatal,” says the warning from HPD.

See The Kaʻū Calendar June edition at www.kaucalendar.com.

VOLCANO VILLAGE FOURTH OF JULY PARADE welcomes walking and riding groups and individuals. It is sponsored by Volcano Community Association in Volcano Village from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. The Monday, July 4 parade starts at the Post Office at 9 a.m. and ends at Cooper Center on Wright Rd., followed by Cooper Center’s Independence Day celebration packed with live entertainment, craft and food vendors, keiki games and a large silent auction from 9 a.m.to 11:30 a.m. Parking maps can be found at www.thecoopercenter.org. (No parking at Cooper Center except handicap permitted vehicles with prior reservation.)

SPONSOR A BUCKLE, VOTE FOR RODEO QUEEN ahead of the Saturday, July 9 Rodeo organized by Kaʻū Roping & Riding Association and ʻO Kaʻū Kākou. Event to be held on the rodeo grounds behind Nāʻālehu Park. Call 808-854-7917.

BECOME A SPONSOR AT THE 3RD ANNUAL EXPERIENCE VOLCANO FESTIVAL on Saturday, July 30th and Sunday, July 31st from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. Last year, over 2,500 visitors attended and over 40 events were featured during the EVH festival. Sign up as a sponsor at experiencevolcano.com. If you have questions, contact experiencevolcano@gmail.com. All vendor locations are taken.

SIGN UP FOR KAʻŪ COFFEE TRAIL RUNS with a change of date from July 3 to Sept. 17. Registration deadline for the annual event is Sept. 14. Organized by Hawaiʻi Island Racers, the 50K begins at 6 a.m., Half Marathon at 7 a.m., and 5K at 7:15 a.m., all starting from Kaʻū Coffee Mill at 96-2696 Wood Valley Road in Pāhala. Proceeds go to support ʻO Kaʻū Kākou. For more details on the event and registration fees, visit https://www.kaucoffeetrailruns.com/.

EVENTS IN KAʻŪ & VOLCANO at https://kaunewsbriefs.blogspot.com/2022/04/upcoming-events-for-kau-and-volcano.html

LEARN MORE ABOUT SPONSORS OF THE KAʻŪ CALENDAR
at http://kaunewsbriefs.blogspot.com/2022/05/sponsors-of-kau-calendar.html