Ormat Technologies Inc., which operates the state’s only geothermal plant in the Puna District on Hawaii island, said it hopes to begin drilling exploratory wells as early as next year to determine whether there are sufficient geothermal resources on the southwestern slope of Haleakala for their proposed geothermal generating plant.
Geothermal, as opposed to solar PV and wind, is a firm resources.
provided a rough outline of its proposed Maui project in an environmental impact statement preparation notice filed with the state earlier this year.
Karen Chun
I understand your concerns which are valid.
Maui is blessed with lots of wind and solar energy – but this energy is nonfirm (that is – it can disappear in an instant from a cloud or drop in wind)
Geothermal is a “firm” source of power and thus solar/wind cannot be substituted.
The other commercially viable (at this time) firm sources of power on Maui are coal and oil.
There are no easy answers. Here are the tradeoffs:
1. Go to solar/wind perhaps with individual battery backup – this is becoming competitive with paying MECO but you are still left with periods of time where you may not have power.
2. Transition to geothermal and thus become less dependent on the Pu’unene coal plant and the diesel generators – with the consequent negative impacts on the behind-the-mountain community.
3. Wait for some future firm energy method (OTEC, Wave?) meanwhile continuing to burn coal and diesel and see our rates rise dramatically.
There are no easy answers and it is important that the public weigh in and that we thoroughly discuss the pros and cons of each course of action.
Karen Chun
I forgot to add that another course of action which complements solar/wind is to firm up these renewable sources by supplying storage.
This could be in the form of pumped hydro (done VERY carefully to avoid sensitive locations)
Or salts or phasechange materials.
I should add that although some of the new wind projects that are being proposed in your area are slated to send energy to Oahu, Maui itself can probably use (and needs) all the geothermal power that could be supplied.
Michelle Steuermann
Aloha,
My name is Michelle Steuermann, and I live in Ulupalakua on Maui. I have lived here since 1977, over half my life. I have always loved Ulupalakua, and cannot imagine living anywhere else. My husband and I have, for the most part, a self-sufficient lifestyle: we live “off the grid”, as far as our electrical needs are concerned.
I am very concerned over the proposed geothermal bill which will give the go-ahead to first drill for exploratory purposes on the Southwest Rift Zone, which is where I live. As I understand it, the power from this source is not meant for Maui. Instead, it is meant to supply O’ahu, by means of an underwater cable. What this means for those of us who live here in Ulupalakua is a drastic (DRASTIC) change in our lifestyles, maybe even forcing us to sell out and leave this land that we love, because it will no longer provide us with the peace and quiet and beauty we are accustomed to and know so well.
Granted, we are just a handful of residents. But to sacrifice us for O’ahu?? That is absolutely horrifying, and I am quite upset over the whole proposition. Wind and solar energies are clean and quiet. Why not put more energy in that direction? The billions of dollars that it would cost to go ahead with geothermal could be used to supply individual homes with solar power, which could be fed back into the grid, thus greatly reducing our need for fossil fuel.
I beg you to PLEASE not allow this bill to pass!
Sincerely,
Michelle Steuermann