09-13-2016, 07:47 AM
quote:
Originally posted by leilanidude
Why didn't HELCO build the geothermal plant? How about that plant North of Hilo that is to burn the eucalyptus trees to make electricity?
Has HELCO built any additional generation facilities themselves? Nope. They "partner" with 3rd party companies that will design/build and then HELCO makes an agreement to purchase the electricity for a negotiated cost. HELCO gets renewable power for a set price without the risk. HELCO can say to the PUC, "See what this renewable electricity costs us to buy? We need to sell it for $ more than what we are paying for it."
I don't disagree but I would offer a couple of points l-dude: HELCO did build a power plant a while back - the Kona diesel-fired plant, I think, was the last one they built. Took them more than a decade to get it installed due to all the whining and obstruction of the community over there. Why would they go the expense and risk of doing that again? The regulatory system is broken - the only people who are willing to take a run at it are completely naive people who have no clue how tortuous the regulatory system is in this state (think the Ka'u biofuel plant and the group trying to develop biomass combustion at the old HCPC site). All this whinging about investors making megabucks is nonsense - far more investment money has been lost on failed efforts to develop renewables and we the rate payers get to pay for the few that make it through the system at tremendous cost.
I reckon that we'll have to see a collapse of the generation system before the regulatory system changes - remember the rolling blackouts before PGV got up and running? (And my opinion is that Harry Kim was largely responsible for that situation - so maybe we can look forward to seeing more of those under his coming rule...)