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+--- Thread: is this really true? (/showthread.php?tid=8893)
is this really true? - mary - 05-31-2011
"HECO on County of Hawaii & Aina Koa Pono
Richard Ha writes:
HECO is protesting the right of the County of Hawai'i to participate in the start-up biofuel company Aina Koa Pono's contract before the PUC.
BEFORE THE PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION OF THE STATE OF HAWAI'I
In the Matter of the Application of
HAWAII ELECTRIC LIGHT COMPANY, INC.
HAWAIIAN ELECTRIC COMPANY, INC.
MAUI ELECTRIC COMPANY, LIMITED
For Approval of the Biodiesel Supply
Contract with Aina Koa Pono-Ka'u LLC and for Approval to Establish a Biofijel Surcharge
Provision and to Include the Biodiesel Supply
Contract Costs in the Companies' Respective
Biofuel Surcharge Provision and Energy Cost
Adjustment Clause.
Docket No. 2011-0005
HAWAII ELECTRIC LIGHT COMPANY, INC.'S,
HAWAIIAN ELECTRIC COMPANY, INC.'S AND
MAUI ELECTRIC COMPANY, LIMITED'S
MEMORANDUM IN OPPOSITION TO COUNTY OF HAWAH'S
MOTION TO PARTICIPATE WITHOUT INTERVENTION...
Read the rest here
First, HECO wanted to keep the details secret. Now it's saying that the County is late, so it should not participate.
What about the County's responsibility to look after the best interests of the people? That should count for a lot.
HECO says that the County has not stated the specific type of expertise, knowledge or experience it holds, now how it relates to the issues on this docket.
How about common sense?
The problem with this contract is that HECO is allowing Aina Koa Pono (AKP) to pass on its costs, over and above the oil cost it replaces, to the rate payer.
Sun Fuels, the most experienced company in Hawai'i in terms of biofuel to liquid, has closed its Hawaii company because it does not think it can be competitive with diesel. One of the main issues is the company does not feel the process is scalable in Hawai'i.
Sun Fuels' principal, Michael Saalfeld, a Waimea resident, has actually put this process into production via a company he owns in Germany. He knows how this process works. There is no one in Hawai'i more experienced.
So we have the most knowledgeable company in the state closing up shop because it knows it's uneconomical to do biomass to liquid fuel here -- while the company with no experience in the field gets a contract allowing it to pass on its costs of operation to Hawai'i's people.
AKP has settled on a Napier grass feedstock after proposing all kinds of others, which left people with the impression that they were like drunken sailors bouncing off the walls.
And HECO is protesting Hawai'i County's right to participate?
What is up here? "
RE: is this really true? - silverpenny10 - 05-31-2011
Lots of unanswered questions. Seems rammed through rather quickly.
RE: is this really true? - Kapohocat - 06-01-2011
Seems alot like HiTel fighting AlaskaTel coming into rural areas like So Point. They fought AlaskaTel so long they finally pulled out. (this was about 10 yrs ago.)
AlaskaTel had the ability to apply for rural grants because none of the areas it serviced were over a certain size (and I dont remember what that size was) but HiTel includes Honolulu so that bumped it from that particular rural grant program.
RE: is this really true? - tada - 06-01-2011
of course thanks for posting this. I left the link for my fave blogger/radio personality Charlene on green on the Politix section- seems like most punawebsters must be offgrid like in my pipedreams or just resigned to higher electricity rates.
I like Charlene because she not afraid to espouse crazy ideas- why say anything if you just going say what everybody else is saying.
That's why my speculation is the real alternative energy is oil?? please tell me where I'm wrong. Apparently Helco is choosing biofuel to meet State mandates to preserve their oil burning infrastructure. So I'm saying the oil Helco currently using to generate electricity is free like the wind and the sun if's a waste product of refining gas for the car transportation. What do they do with the leftover sludge from refining gas? I looked it up and they use it to pave the road. So I'm saying if they have anything leftover from that they should get rid of it by generating electricity for Oahu at least.
RE: is this really true? - Bob Orts - 06-01-2011
The PUC appropriately rejected Hawaii County's request. The PUC must operate under a set of laws designed to protect the process and avoid unnecessary delays. Hawaii County knew full well (and they always said they knew it was hopeless) that they were trying something that was well outside the law and regulations.
The PUC has all the information including those claimed as confidential. They have held some as confidential but will release others as they determine they are not confidential inside information. That’s the process and if you don’t respect it, you should have no problem with government releasing your tax information, of medical information or any other information on you that may be confidential because you don’t respect business confidential information.
If anyone thinks Hawaii County was doing this to protect the "Consumer" you need to lay off the crack. Hawaii County was doing this for one and only one reason; they were hoping to keep money rolling into the Geothermal Royalty and Asset Funds. You the consumer were just the display icing, but the filling is all about those two funds.
Citing Sun Fuels in this is a hypocritical statement as many of you have previously commented against their operation as poorly managed, inferior technology, environmentally unsound, and a sham. So why are you now saying they posses some great knowledge on this matter? I believe that some of you don’t know who they are so out of one side of your mouth you criticized them continually and out of the other you’re praising them for the very things you were criticizing them for.
Unfortunately, discussions like this proves only one thing, there are way too many ignorant people on the Big Island for anyone to take the place seriously. Hold hand, sing your songs, and dance to the wind, but I’m just so disgusted at the stupidity of many that it’s not even worth defending the Big Island anymore. [V]
RE: is this really true? - oink - 06-01-2011
Bob, don't give up please. I don't always agree with you but more often than not your posts inject sanity into debates(used loosely).
Pua`a
S. FL
Big Islander to be.
RE: is this really true? - tada - 06-01-2011
Could anybody explain why business information should be as confidential as tax or medical information?