05-13-2019, 04:58 AM
quote:
Originally posted by Chunkster
Once again, our incompetent state government has not followed its own regulations. Imagine that! The really sad thing is that the energy this project would produce is indeed renewable and sustainable by most standards. Trees sequester carbon and grow quite well on the windward side of this island.
If you look beyond the front men (environmentalists) opposing this, the real opposition has come from nearby residents. The location has been zoned industrial since plantation days, but nearby residents don't want it used for its intended purpose. Some of these people have been there since those times, but others bought homes there since then and should have known about the zoning through disclosure or due diligence. Typical Hawaii combination of NIMBY and incompetent government.
Certainly, I wouldn't disagree with you on your assessment, but there's another element as well: Hawai'i's prevailing judicial philosophy seems to be "no whiner shall be denied...". Why Life of the Land should be given standing in a PUC proceeding is beyond me. They have no special knowledge or expertise to asses the technology and have no more vested interest in the production of power than any average citizen.