Posts: 990
Threads: 22
Joined: Dec 2007
As Ormat is supplying most of Puna, why are we paying the oil surcharge? The Kona side is requiring the extra power because of their growth, which benefits them.
Put the surcharge fee on those using the juice! It works for income tax, sliding scale. Property value, wages, all benefit from this growth and gives them the means to pay the extra cost. But not puna people. Puna is at the bottom of the heap, "Economically Indigent"
We keep on suffering from the hissing, noxious, gas belching, life threatning geothermal project, run by an awful Corporation. Please eliminate the oil surcharge as geo is so hard to live with already.
Look at your bill, subtract the oil surcharge, would it make a difference?
Gordon J Tilley
Posts: 990
Threads: 22
Joined: Dec 2007
True, by set values(dictated by HELCO).
Geothermal provides an uninterrupted 20% of the alternate energy(proven). All the rest provide 7%(with full sun and driving wind), meaning intermittant, an intermittant solution to an intermittant problem. D'ya think mabe there's money in 35K reverse meter hookups.
Nevada just installed 14 geo plants statewide, total output 275mw. They have even figured how to deliver it a over 60 miles.
Ormat, presently producing 30mw has the capability of well over 200mw. 150mw would cover the island.. But we can't figure out how to upgrade the transmission lines around the island? Mabe we could get some help from Brazil or Costa Rica!
HELCO doesn't want to kill their goldengoose. YB gets a cut for shipping the oil, probably storage at Hono etc. This solar venture at airports, is HELCO doing that for cost and love. Do they take a cut of the 35K+ for hooking up homes? Do they get any cut off windfarms?
HELCO is part of a state approved monopoly. Matson brings freight from the mainland without competition(regulated), YB same thing interisland, including oil. All other island electric companies included.
All under Matson Navigation, and publicly owned, for profit companies with investors world wide. This was supposed to increase efficiency? It sure has increased profit margins, their stocks are doing well!
Incidentally, Matson and YB also ship as much military related freight as they can, even strykers if given a chance. HELCO has no problem selling to the military and all the above for a good profit. They make a lot of mainland investors happy! If the Matson Conglomerate were in real private industry like they should be, folks here would be calling them haliburton or blackwell!
But people here believe the govt. can do all and will protect us all. The army put strykers on the SupeFerry because of cost and as a deployment test. SF went for it because it's proof they can deliver their promises. One day service at less than 1/2 price of YB. Otherwise they do use their long distance heavy armored landing craft as it's cheaper than YB, and delivers on time(alot of time). The military spends a good part of it's budget on local purchases, as long as they're somewhere near what online(including shipping) cost would be.
So what's the difference except Matson has govt. protection against competition!
Or is any company suspect if they do business with the mlitary. Mabe KMC ought to be run out of town as they enable the carnage?
Just some thoughts! If you like what your paying now, keep on the same path and see how long before we make highest in the world! We'll earn another first!
Gordon J Tilley
