LOCATION/TYPE

NEWS HOME

[ exact phrase in "" • results by date ]

[ Google-powered • results by relevance ]


Archive
RSS

Add NWW headlines to your site (click here)

WHAT TO DO
when your community is targeted

Get weekly updates
RSS

RSS feeds and more

Keep Wind Watch online and independent!

Donate via Stripe

Donate via Paypal

Selected Documents

All Documents

Research Links

Alerts

Press Releases

FAQs

Campaign Material

Photos & Graphics

Videos

Allied Groups

Wind Watch is a registered educational charity, founded in 2005.

News Watch Home

Groups fear damage to land by Lanai, Molokai wind farms 

Credit:  By Alan Yonan Jr., Honolulu Star Advertiser, www.staradvertiser.com 12 January 2011 ~~

The damage that proposed wind farms on Lanai and Molokai could do to the islands’ natural beauty and cultural sites outweighs the benefits they might have by helping the state reach energy self-sufficiency.

That was the message from several community groups that testified at a legislative hearing yesterday.

The projects, which would deliver a combined 400 megawatts of electricity to Oahu via undersea cables, are a major component of the state’s plan to generate 40 percent of Hawaii’s energy from renewable sources by 2030. The plan calls for the state to reduce its dependence on fossil fuels by another 30 percent through increased energy efficiency.

“I support clean energy, but I do not support the current plan, which calls for this mammoth abuse of our treasured aina,” said Martha Evans, a member of Friends of Lanai.

“It’s just another get-rich-quicker scheme concocted by those who already have so much at the expense of Lanai,” Evans said at an informational briefing chaired by state Sens. Mike Gabbard (D, Kapolei-Makakilo-Waikele) and Roz Baker (D, South and West Maui).

Friends of Lanai was one of three groups opposing the wind farms at the meeting. There also was one group speaking in favor of the Molokai plan. In addition, there were presentations from the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism; Hawaiian Electric Co.; developers Castle & Cooke and First Wind LLC; and the U.S. Department of Energy.

Lanaians for Sensible Growth said it has been working during the last 18 months with the Hawaii Community Alliance for Community-Based Economic Development, the University of Hawaii School of Social Work and the UH Department of Urban and Regional Planning to get a sense of the community’s position on the wind farm.

The group said a survey of 400 randomly selected households showed that a majority of those polled were concerned about access to hunting and fishing areas; a permanent altering of the landscape; destruction of cultural sites; and reducing their electric bills.

Yesterday’s briefing came on the heels of an announcement by HECO and Castle & Cooke that they have agreed on a tentative price for electricity generated by the proposed Lanai wind farm.

The two sides also agreed on a “community benefits package” for Lanai residents, including a commitment to provide electricity to Lanai at the same rate paid on Oahu, a commitment from Castle & Cooke to maintain employment at today’s level, the establishment of a Lanai Community Benefits fund with proceeds equaling 1 percent of the wind farm’s gross revenues, and a pledge to give priority to qualified Lanai residents for construction jobs associated with the wind project.

The proposed wind farms on Lanai and Molokai are in the early planning stages, and no firm dates have been set for groundbreaking.

Castle & Cooke owns the land on which the Lanai wind farm would be built.

First Wind, meanwhile, has had difficulty nailing down a location for the Molokai wind farm. The Boston-based company “continues to work on securing land rights – that’s a big step coming up that we need to resolve,” said Wren Wescoatt, a development specialist for First Wind. Wescoatt, who grew up on Molokai and attended Kamehameha Schools on Oahu, said First Wind has been working hard to generate community support.

“I’d like to thank the many people who have been involved in that process. Whether they agreed or not, the important thing is that they participated,” he said. “Without their help, we wouldn’t have gotten this far, and we certainly aren’t going to go much further unless the community supports it. I know that Molokai is the Friendly Isle, but it’s not always the consensus isle.”

Source:  By Alan Yonan Jr., Honolulu Star Advertiser, www.staradvertiser.com 12 January 2011

This article is the work of the source indicated. Any opinions expressed in it are not necessarily those of National Wind Watch.

The copyright of this article resides with the author or publisher indicated. As part of its noncommercial educational effort to present the environmental, social, scientific, and economic issues of large-scale wind power development to a global audience seeking such information, National Wind Watch endeavors to observe “fair use” as provided for in section 107 of U.S. Copyright Law and similar “fair dealing” provisions of the copyright laws of other nations. Send requests to excerpt, general inquiries, and comments via e-mail.

Wind Watch relies entirely
on User Contributions
   Donate via Stripe
(via Stripe)
Donate via Paypal
(via Paypal)

Share:

e-mail X FB LI M TG TS G Share


News Watch Home

Get the Facts
CONTACT DONATE PRIVACY ABOUT SEARCH
© National Wind Watch, Inc.
Use of copyrighted material adheres to Fair Use.
"Wind Watch" is a registered trademark.

 Follow:

Wind Watch on X Wind Watch on Facebook Wind Watch on Linked In

Wind Watch on Mastodon Wind Watch on Truth Social

Wind Watch on Gab Wind Watch on Bluesky