04-27-2008, 07:13 AM
Damon, Helco has 3 hydroelectric plants on the Wailuku (all run of the river, weir sytems) The 3rd was built in the early 1990's - 1989-08-HA-FEIS-Wailuku River Power project. The EIS for sister plant that was proposed for the Honolii - 1989-04-HA-FEIS-Honolii Hydroelectric Power Project(the next best of only a very few streams that have very good potential on island) was taken to the state supreme court in the 1990's & the ruling against the plant will make any other commercial hydro electric on the island very difficult to build.
If you are at Boiling Pots in Hilo, looking upstream, you are looking at the impoundment for hydro plant #2, the elctric works off of Wainaku st is plant #1.
If you spend a few years studying the various power generating options, you will come to the realization that there are tremendous trade offs on each system. Some have huge upfront energy needs in manufacturing, others have huge ecosystem effects, some have horrendous waste issues.
For each of us, the one choice that is right might have unacceptable effects for another. It is up to each of us, who feel strongly about different generating systems, to realize that we are consumming the lions' share of all energy ever available for man to utilize, and possibly cut out as much as each of us can....
It takes a truly rich person to realize that what they have today is too much.
If you are at Boiling Pots in Hilo, looking upstream, you are looking at the impoundment for hydro plant #2, the elctric works off of Wainaku st is plant #1.
If you spend a few years studying the various power generating options, you will come to the realization that there are tremendous trade offs on each system. Some have huge upfront energy needs in manufacturing, others have huge ecosystem effects, some have horrendous waste issues.
For each of us, the one choice that is right might have unacceptable effects for another. It is up to each of us, who feel strongly about different generating systems, to realize that we are consumming the lions' share of all energy ever available for man to utilize, and possibly cut out as much as each of us can....
It takes a truly rich person to realize that what they have today is too much.