Lala. Electricity. State Inquiy?

[MyManao]

Everyone is ignoring the biggest problem in Puna and the entire east side.

There is a very vocal opposition to tree cutting... People in Puna go crazy when Helco does aerial line inspections.

Ah, there's that whole substandard part of life in Puna rearing its ugly little head, again.

The entire conundrum is the role money plays in folks lifestyle. So many move to Puna because it is affordable. So much so that if it weren't for Puna's low valuation they would not be able to live in Hawaii at all. Of course County loves the property taxes, but god knows, nobody, County, State, even the feds are not going to put anymore back in beyond the minimum. And why should they? As Obie points out, the folks here give 'em grief at every turn. And, it's a frickin' volcano folks!

Look around, the utilities in other communities are buried. Look at Waikaloa. The Watumuls call HPP a success, when in fact it's a Hawaiian style ghetto, especially when one compares it to a true community development such as Waikaloa. And, in Waikaloa, the utilities are underground. Look at the world around you when you drive up Kaiminani Dr in Kona Palisades, a similar in age subdivision, there ain't no utilities flying around there either.

So, you like live in, can afford to live in, then lol, you gotta share the living with all the others who can afford no more.. and they're the most unruly. Geez, just look at the way that wahine goes on with her angst over some politician.. this isn't civilized, it's the zoo. It's got all kinds.. and god knows for every one that wants to clear the hazards, who wants to help Puna actualize its potential, to make it a better community, there are three or four that want to hide behind them. Who are just fine in the jungle where nobody can see them, and are happy to take what comes, because they can't afford anymore.

[Punatang]

Did widdle MyMan! wake up with more aches and pains than usual?  

Have a better day.

[Durian Fiend]

Regarding upscale neighborhoods on the Big Island with underground power, I wonder if those folks up Kaloko will be looking to go this route after all the damage to their power lines recently. They may still be without power, IDK.

[HereOnThePrimalEdge]

Look around, the utilities in other communities are buried. Look at Waikaloa.

Yes, look at Waikaloa.  Look at the lot prices. They’re high due to location, location, location, and because you have to pay for the cost of digging through rock to bury your utilities.

[MyManao]

because you have to pay..

Quality over quantity.. or quantity over quality. it's a choice. But bitching about it when folks recognize the choices you make and honor them by not investing more than the minimum because of them... that's just silly.

As Obie pointed out, again, da folks dis side are a different breed.. live and let live.. and take what comes. Especially 'cause they can't afford no more.

And you know Edge, I ain't bitching about it. Just pointing out, there's all kine folks, and Puna gets da kine it gets. If one wants more, better, and all like that, there's all kine opportunities. Places to go, kinds of people to be, to become.

[HiloJulie]

If one thinks the anti-tree cutting folks are a handful, wait until you meet the anti-digging up burial site folks if one thinks mass scale underground utilities in Puna are the answer.

In as much as I never knew HPP was also "the ghetto" as is the Acres where I live but just look at all the trouble a mailbox park in HPP had when it disturbed a burial site. And now with unearthed coffins on the front yards in Nāʻālehu, I don't think underground utilities will get any traction whatsoever.

At any event, just look at the recent election, where a "new breed" of a candidate for State office runs, full of ideas to make Puna actualize its potential with ideas that do not need massive 1950's/60's infrastructure for utilities that also don't require a constant need to keep the hazards clear and make it all a better community only to become ridiculed, marginalized, called a kook, asked endless questions that are just blatantly factually untrue to begin with and are just fine with having impotent spineless representation while sitting back and more or less referring to Puna as a ghetto and its people as uncivilized and a zoo.

Suck that green smoothie, boy!

[MyManao]

And now with unearthed coffins on the front yards in Nāʻālehu, I don't think underground utilities will get any traction whatsoever.

Now you're just making noise.. without knowing what you're making noise about. It was a cemetery that got flooded. No woo woo coffins popping up from far and wide.. a frickin' cemetery.

[Durian Fiend]

Certain flood zones might not be appropriate for underground power, but that would be a very small percentage of potential coverage.
The drawback is cost. Look at the Lahaina reconstruction efforts. There will be a couple miles of line buried there at a cost of $11 million a mile! New posts for the power lines will be made of stronger, more expensive material than wood.

[punikahakaiferret]

Because I like to try and imagine alternative solutions and play what-if with myself, I looked around to see if there are other options available other than trenched-deep underground utility lines...and there is.

It's a vault-type system, not trenched in, but slightly dug-out, and then encased in some sort of impermeable but still accessible material to be able to access trouble areas.

Wish something like that could be implemented here...would be a much better situation than the never-ending tree problems impacting overhead lines, or the sheer difficulty and huge expense to blast and trench into solid lava.

A ferret can dream...

[Obie]

I hope everyone realizes that on the other side of the island,, the developers put all of that stuff underground.
Same with water.

We missed the boat on that because these are all tax mining subdivisions .
Helco, The county nor the state are going to come in and change any of that.
You want the niceties ?
Hui with your neighbors if you want that.

In Vacationland we put in a water system and dedicated it back to the County with the stipulation that they maintain it in perpetuity.

They finished running a new water main down the new Pohohiki Road and now down the Red Road to the former Orchid growing farms that were part of our subdivision. When the new road is opened we will be able to rebuild our main road and the County will replace the rest of the pipeline along with a couple of fire hydrants.