12-27-2012, 06:28 PM
Now, you're just trolling. So far, you are starting to show a lot of indicators of mainland myopia, applying a mainland view to the BI. JFYI, that isn't going to work well for you unless you can let them go. Or you can join the grumpy old white men's club in Pahoa, they do a lot of comparing of the mainland with the BI.
Even doing a lot of research about geothermal on the BI, it is difficult to tell exactly what is going on. As for PGV, it is Ormat PGV, and they are just under contract to HELCO, not part of it. As for "feeble power", PGV is ramping up to 38MW. All of Puna uses 6MW. It appears to me the Puna diesel-electric plant has been at near idle for a year or so. It has a capacity of near 30MW. There is also the Hilo diesel-electric plant, also at near idle. The reality is there is much more delivery capacity on the eastside now without the load demand, i.e. no industry.
One of my hobbies is going around and looking at electrical distribution systems, so the system implemented here is very interesting. The high voltage line easement is alongside the highways. Due to this, they appear to be much lower voltage than is usually associated with high voltage lines on the mainland, confirmed by a recent HELCO article. This means the attenuation over distance is higher, so power sources only supply over a limited distance. There are so many people that go on and on about "the grid" here and that is another usage of a mainland term to the BI that is erroneous. "The grid" exists on the mainland because it crosses back and forth, like a grid. On the BI, it is basically a loop. Power lines don't cross back and forth across the center of the island (Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa prevent that). This power "loop" has multiple power nodes with limited range, so PGV isn't really able to provide power to the west side, or even that far north. HELCO has an RFP out that will be presented over the next few months. There are at least twenty companies with proposals.
Initially, this RFP was only for the west side but situations may be changing. The significant recent event was the anti-geothermal people failed to notice the passing of Act 97 which basically stripped Hawaii county of geothermal permitting authority and put it under DLNR. Supposedly, the anti-geothermal people are working to get Act 97 repealed which is kind of silly since it was moved to DLNR because geothermal is a STATE ASSET, not just a Hawaii county asset. So, those battle lines will be forming over the next few months, plenty of time for you to get involved, one way or the other.
"It was a majority decision to descend into the Dark Ages.
Don't worry, be happy, bang on da drum all day!"
Even doing a lot of research about geothermal on the BI, it is difficult to tell exactly what is going on. As for PGV, it is Ormat PGV, and they are just under contract to HELCO, not part of it. As for "feeble power", PGV is ramping up to 38MW. All of Puna uses 6MW. It appears to me the Puna diesel-electric plant has been at near idle for a year or so. It has a capacity of near 30MW. There is also the Hilo diesel-electric plant, also at near idle. The reality is there is much more delivery capacity on the eastside now without the load demand, i.e. no industry.
One of my hobbies is going around and looking at electrical distribution systems, so the system implemented here is very interesting. The high voltage line easement is alongside the highways. Due to this, they appear to be much lower voltage than is usually associated with high voltage lines on the mainland, confirmed by a recent HELCO article. This means the attenuation over distance is higher, so power sources only supply over a limited distance. There are so many people that go on and on about "the grid" here and that is another usage of a mainland term to the BI that is erroneous. "The grid" exists on the mainland because it crosses back and forth, like a grid. On the BI, it is basically a loop. Power lines don't cross back and forth across the center of the island (Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa prevent that). This power "loop" has multiple power nodes with limited range, so PGV isn't really able to provide power to the west side, or even that far north. HELCO has an RFP out that will be presented over the next few months. There are at least twenty companies with proposals.
Initially, this RFP was only for the west side but situations may be changing. The significant recent event was the anti-geothermal people failed to notice the passing of Act 97 which basically stripped Hawaii county of geothermal permitting authority and put it under DLNR. Supposedly, the anti-geothermal people are working to get Act 97 repealed which is kind of silly since it was moved to DLNR because geothermal is a STATE ASSET, not just a Hawaii county asset. So, those battle lines will be forming over the next few months, plenty of time for you to get involved, one way or the other.
"It was a majority decision to descend into the Dark Ages.
Don't worry, be happy, bang on da drum all day!"
*Japanese tourist on bus through Pahoa, "Is this still America?*