READ-Geothermal Facts and Lower Puna Permits

[robguz]

I'd love to see geothermal expanded in compliance with existing laws and with emergency response plans. I have no problem with the Big Island supplying electricity to the whole state. Imagine all the living wage jobs that could be created and sustained. Sure, nobody wants one in their back yard. They should be developed in sites without immediate neighbors whenever possible, or with neighboring properties bought out in the process. Every time I see our government vehicles spraying herbicide along many miles of roadway here and the many thousands of gallons of hazardous materials just spread everywhere, I think about how much more environmentally damaging that is than the PGV plant which supplies 30% of our electricity! I also think our population not making use of geothermal resources would be like the state of Texas not drilling for oil anywhere but in one small spot in the state. The difference of course being that geothermal wells don't have anywhere near the environmental impact that oil drilling has.

All those opposed to geothermal at all costs are by default aggressively in favor of shipping millions of gallons of diesel to Hawaii and then burning it here in noisy, polluting power plants that run at all hours and have bright lights. I'm sure the oil industry is happy to have your support.