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There aren't very many times that we as a community get to talk about issues that are on the national level, subjects like stimulus money, expansion projects, senator retiring in scandal, millions of dollars fraudulently acquired and it all has to do with PUNA a subject near and dear to our hearts...
What a juicy piece of gossip or is it?
http://blog.heartland.org/2015/04/reid-r...y-scandal/
"Ormat misrepresented the Puna project as new, though it was an expansion of an already constructed facility. Only 8 megawatts of capacity was added to the the 30 megawatts of original capacity, yet in its stimulus filings Ormat treated the existing capacity as eligible for the grant. Calilung said in the complaint."
"It is also worth noting that Ormat’s DOE award came a year after investors sued the company for allegedly inflating its stock price through “fraudulent accounting and overstated financial results.” Ormat settled the allegations in 2012 for $3.1 million."
http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/Ormat-T...id/631203/
"Not only did Ormat wrongfully obtain the 1603 funds, but Ormat continues to file false certifications pertaining to the success, viability and operation of the geothermal projects that received grant funds so as to prevent the funds' recapture. Ormat additionally continues to make false public statements claiming its use of funds obtained from the Government were appropriate," the lawsuit alleges."
"The lawsuit claims that Kell was coerced into withdrawing a Freedom of Information Act request in November 2012 when the firm threatened to take away her health insurance as she was undergoing breast cancer treatment."
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Allegations in a lawsuit are not news and are not facts. They are merely allegations in some lawsuit.
If you cherry pick the internet enough you will find "evidence" of most anything and everything.
Rather weak tea R.J.
Assume the best and ask questions.
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That's right Rob it is just an accusation that the judge refused to dismiss. Should we not talk about it, Rob? Sorry I brought it up. Lord knows I don't want to be serving up no weak tea on the punaweb. [
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Well frankly RJ I'm losing track of how many crusades du jour of yours we've been subjected to over the years. As you wear out your welcome with one you are researching your next attempt to be relevant in some way. You remind me of the lead character in The Music Man.... who basically was a self absorbed con man.
So what is the headline of your preference here? Juicy Gossip? Is there a point of local reference I'm missing?
Assume the best and ask questions.
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Based upon the rise of the stock price of Ormat since last fall, I would guess that investors have already realized the lawsuit isn't what some people here seem to think it is.
BTW, that extra 8MW of generation, sells to Helco for 6 cents per kwh. All anger at PGV for electric costs needs to be directed to the PUC and state legislature for keeping the old contracts tied to the cost of oil. They did so to give a fighting chance to solar and wind projects, at OUR EXPENSE. PGV has been trying to get those old contracts renegotiated for lower costs - so what does that tell you? Maybe if more of you complainers started working with PGV instead of against them, our electric costs could get dropped a lot quicker.
Excerpt from 2013 Annual Report, page 44, PGV:
The pricing for the energy that is sold from the Puna complex is as follows:
• For the first on-peak 25 MW, the energy price has not changed from HELCO avoided cost.
• For the next on-peak 5 MW, the price has changed from a diesel-based price to a flat rate of 11.8 cents per kWh escalated by 1.5% per year.
• For the new on-peak 8 MW, the price is 9 cents per kWh for up to 30,000 MWh/year and 6 cents per kWh above 30,000 MWh/year, escalated by 1.5% per year.
• For the first off-peak 22 MW the energy price has not changed from avoided cost.
The off-peak energy above 22 MW is dispatchable:
• For the first off-peak 5 MW, the price has changed from diesel-
based price to a flat rate of 11.8 cents per kWh escalated by 1.5% per year.
• For the energy above 27 MW (up to 38 MW) the price is 6 cents per kWh,escalated by 1.5% per year.
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Rob, it must be your hate for me that has you say such things. How many crusades? Maybe a hundred now that I am not making sorbet anymore I have time.
Aren't we suppose to keep it "Hawaii related". Is not Ormat in our back yard? Wasn't that Puna expansion program a source of controversy? Both of these subjects have to do with PUNA specifically. Both of these subjects have to do with honesty and the public's need to know. Are we only suppose to talk about this when and if Ormat is found guilty and not before that? Is that the rule?
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I suggest you don't press me R.J. As I see it you are rummaging around on the internet trying to find that fine line where you an inject national issues, and all the acrimony they can involve, into Punaweb. We have enough acrimony here in Puna without anyone making that extra effort to find more.
Assume the best and ask questions.
Punaweb moderator
Assume the best and ask questions.
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With all respect Rob (and some trepidation here) I would say there is a local aspect to this topic that hasn't been well explained. The whistle blower lawsuit involves PGV directly and there was a recent ruling to deny in part Ormat's motion to dismiss. While the Harry Reid issue is related, it is not very local of course. Hope this helps to understand the link to Puna and some possible interest.
http://www.courthousenews.com/2014/01/09/64366.htm
"A geothermal energy developer defrauded the United States of $122 million in bailout money, artificially inflating its assets to maintain the appearance that its ventures were viable, two former employees say in a qui tam lawsuit.
...
Ormat has received at least $122 million in payments by submitting false applications for its Puna Geothermal and North Brawley Geothermal power plants, neither of which qualify for the funds, according to the complaint.
..."
http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/...rant-fraud
"The March 24 opinion from the U.S. District Court for Nevada granted in part and denied in part Ormat’s motion to dismiss an action brought by ex-Ormat employees under the False Claims Act.
...
The court also held that the relators provided nonpublic information germane to allegedly false statements by Ormat in the Cash Grant application for the expansion of the Puna plant. The issue for the Puna expansion was whether costs were properly allocated between the Cash Grant-eligible expansion and the ineligible improvements and repairs to the original plant. The Puna Cash Grant award was more than $105 million.
..."
(off to pack my bags
ETF - sentence structure / clarity
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Rob, take your own advise "Assume the best". I honestly believe that RJ's research and Punaweb posts are true, relevant to your readers,and reliable. It has been very obvious that you have detested her posts for a long time. You need to research her subject matters and posts more thoroughly before you become so critical of her posts. So, before you ridicule RJ and her research please do your homework or just let it go and let your readership decide what is reverent and worthy of posting.
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"let your readership decide what is reverent and worthy of posting".
I'm not sure if you are suggesting anarchy or mob rule, but personally I prefer a forum with manners. If you want to start your own forum, then by all means... do it. Your forum, your rules.
