Federal Funding Secured for Hawaii Island Power Grid

[Punatang]

https://governor.hawaii.gov/newsroom/for...-projects/

Office of the Governor

Governor Josh Green, M.D.

Ke Keʻena O Ke Kiaʻāina

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: HAWAIʻI TO RECEIVE $18.5 MILLION TO FUND GRID RESILIENCE AND HAZARD MITIGATION PROJECTS

..."The funding, which comes from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) under its Hazard Mitigation Grants Program (HMGP) and the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program, will support five projects scheduled for completion between 2027 and 2029. These projects will focus on identifying and mitigating the rising occurrence of risks to the electrical grid from natural hazards such as wildfires, flooding, and hurricanes.

“This partnership with Hawaiian Electric and FEMA will help the state become more resilient to weather events that increasingly pose a significant threat to energy infrastructure across Hawaii’s six independent grids,” said Hawaiʻi’s Chief Energy Officer Mark [Free Gas] Glick. “The investments will improve the resilience of Hawaiʻi’s energy infrastructure and ensure a reliable power supply to critical community facilities when needed.”

“It’s critical to work together as partners to address the many hazards we face in Hawaiʻi. This collaborative effort will result in stronger, more resilient electric systems that will improve service to the communities we serve,” said Colton Ching, Senior Vice President of Planning & Technology...

[Investments in Big Island include:]

..."2. Distribution Digital Twin (DDT) Grid Modeling – $1 million 
...3. Energy Management System (EMS) Platform Modernization for the Maui and Hawaii Island Grids – $4.8 million"

...“Securing this federal support through FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation and BRIC programs demonstrates HIEMAʻs commitment to improving our overall assistance to the state of Hawaiʻi. By identifying risks to our energy infrastructure and strengthening our mitigation projects like the Critical Customer Hubs, we are ensuring that essential lifelines remain operational for our communities during and after extreme weather events,” said HIEMA Administrator David Lopez."...

More at link.

[HereOnThePrimalEdge]

I don’t see anything in the funding for locating and removing trees that can damage power lines.  None of the five categories address this problem.

[Punatang]

It took 100# test line-restraint to keep The Fish from pointing out that perhaps Governor Green's Administration, including Mark "Free Gas" Glick, failed to prioritize securing Federal Assistance for tree issues or the creation of The Hawaii County DMT (Division of Misfit Trees). 

What The Green Regime does seem very excited about, is using the federal funds to create, in essence, what seems like, a shadow grid where all of the "important stuff" has a grid that you and I do not have.

Is that a good idea?  Maybe, in the aggregate.  One can reasonably expect that resources in future outages may likely be appropriated differently when "we are not all in this together".

Please discuss among yourselves, most of you.


   

“This partnership with Hawaiian Electric and FEMA will help the state become more resilient to weather events that increasingly pose a significant threat to energy infrastructure across Hawaii’s six independent grids,” said Hawaiʻi’s Chief Energy Officer Mark [Free Gas] Glick. “The investments will improve the resilience of Hawaiʻi’s energy infrastructure and ensure a reliable power supply to critical community facilities when needed.”

[HereOnThePrimalEdge]

Is that a good idea?  Maybe, in the aggregate.

Yes, the fed funding will solve some of HECO’s grid issues.  But if the money was appropriated for fixing problems from the most recent storm, I’m pretty certain Lahaina fire mitigation and electric hubs on Oahu whatever they are will not keep the lights on and the water running in Puna.  

Look at what caused the power outages in Puna during and after Lala.  Those issues will cause the power to go out in the next storm.  Puna and Ka’u were hardest hit.  Maybe they should get more of the money?

[Punatang]

Stay focused: "New approach".  Sounds like our leaders' solution is a two-tiered grid system.  Tree-proof the important stuff and "let them eat albezia."

Critical Customer Hubs, as a new approach to local energy resilience, allow critical facilities—such as fire stations, police stations, medical facilities, grocery stores, pharmacies, and fuel stations—to remain operational even when the grid fails. 

[HereOnThePrimalEdge]

So as part of the hubs, Puna becomes the outer bald punctured flat tire, where the rubber meets the road, the wind and rain meet directly with the damage done.  The power lines are shut off protecting customers miles away from possible live downed wires, and as a consequence also protects them from running water and working refrigerators.

Trees are on the road so residents can’t get to a hub gas station, their fridges don’t work so no use walking through branches to a hub grocery.  Good luck to fire trucks and hub police getting through.  Everyone with a chain saw cuts a path through in a day or two, and those with a generator become Critical Neighborhood Hubs.  

No need give those people resilience money.

[Punatang]

It's a theory...

[MyManao]

Look at what caused the power outages in Puna during and after Lala.  Those issues will cause the power to go out in the next storm.  Puna and Ka’u were hardest hit.  Maybe they should get more of the money?

Fyi.. the main trunk line, from the substation up on the highway down into Honokaa town was severed. Literally the poles snapped in two, with transformers broken on the ground, and wires all over the place. Took several days to put it to rights. Malama Market, and all the restaurants shut down and food going bad just like on the other side. Sheesh, I heard one restaurant pulled out the grill and started BBQing what otherwise was going to go bad if he didn't just start cooking it and feeding folks..

Hawi was out for days too..

So no, Edge, Puna and Kau don't have the market cornered on mystery, and besides, how much did that press release say the Big Island is gonna get? A few mil? Chump change brah. And, besides, does the fact the storm went south of the island this time mean all storms are going to go south? Or are we talking everyone got a vested interest no matter what side?

I think it's probably mo bettah folks, the property owners, take up the tree issue in subdivisions if they don’t like the way HELCO do ‘em than try and get HELCO to do ‘em the way they like. In the pay as you go substandards more would get done if folks agreed to an added annual fee (the true value of those cheap lots, eh?) than expect all that much from HELCO. Roads, tree trimming, sheesh, when a subdivision is ready to grow up they need to get everyone to ante up even more so they can get water lines too. Vacationland was working on it, piecemeal, but they were. Sheesh, when they started, the way the cinder top on the road going in would build up those ridges and valleys..  it was a nightmare to drive that stretch (except right after Stephen went and dragged that grader box to knock 'em down). So much so they paved it.. and then as Obie points out they got the water.. The system was screwy.. with those lines on the ground.. but it was a start.

And to think, even though a place like HPP got plenty more miles of road, you all got penty more folks to ante up. But in all honesty, when the water lines come in, and some day you all gonna want water lines, methinks you should put the wires underground too..

[Durian Fiend]

I read online from a resident in Volcano village that their power lines come from Pahala, so they are still without power.

The water line discussion reminded me that on the island of Crete in Greece, it was apparent that the water lines were mostly above ground in flexible plastic pipe. It looked like there were occasional water substations most likely supplied by larger, underground piping. I recall seeing valve systems above ground where it looked like a person could just walk up and shut off someone's water supply. No doubt some prankster would actually do that in Puna. Or the water would be stolen, or the lines vandalized...

[ironyak]

MyManao - ...methinks you should put the wires underground too...
Maybe this is something HPPOA can mandate as part of the HPP Independence Movement? I probably wouldn't bet my solar panels on them achieving it, but given their history, who knows what HPPOA will get up to in the future?

Edge - I’m pretty certain Lahaina fire mitigation and electric hubs on Oahu whatever they are will not keep the lights on and the water running in Puna. ... Puna and Ka’u were hardest hit. Maybe they should get more of the money?
The planning for the hubs / microgrids goes back at least to 2023 post-Lahaina, so this is funding mainly to help implement some of those plans. If the grid integrity can't be ensured, then at least smaller subsections with critical community resources might be for a time? Having electrical generation at the critical point of use doesn't seem like the worst idea, maybe even worth each site doing this on their own via solar/battery/generators/etc. You know, Puna-style.

Gov. Green has said that Ka'u, as the hardest hit, will be the priority in recovery. Given they have repairs needed to the hospital, school, businesses, graveyard, etc, seems to make sense in the big picture perspective. Only so many dollars available "on loan" from future generations, so everyone needs to get in line, or be prepared to pay upfront for their desired improvements.