10-03-2012, 02:28 PM
This is moving along faster than expected. This news is more about the Lanai and Molokai cable routes to Maui, then to Oahu. Those cable routes are fairly well established and there is a call for 200MW.
HELCO has said they won't have excess to export until the Pepeekeo biomass fuel plant, in about one year, and the west side geothermal plant, at least 3 years away, are up and running. Even then, excess generation would have to be added for the surplus to export and justify the cost of a very long cable from the BI to Maui.
This news is mostly about the cables between the other islands in the next few years.
HELCO has said they won't have excess to export until the Pepeekeo biomass fuel plant, in about one year, and the west side geothermal plant, at least 3 years away, are up and running. Even then, excess generation would have to be added for the surplus to export and justify the cost of a very long cable from the BI to Maui.
This news is mostly about the cables between the other islands in the next few years.
*Japanese tourist on bus through Pahoa, "Is this still America?*