Geothermal

[rbakker]

"Drillers break into magma chamber"
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7780873.stm

There was also an interesting article in the HTH the other day about the 15th birthday of Puna's geothermal plant, attended (amongst others) by people who tried to stop it. Can someone remind me why some people are so against using such a clean and abundant energy source?

[Jon]

Religion...

Same reason people are against nuclear power - Religion...




Transplanted Texan
"I am here to chew bubble gum and kick some *** ... and I'm all out of bubble gum"

[Rob Tucker]

In some small answer to your question rbakker the Puna Geothermal Venture did not start out in a clean and abundant way. It was a rough start up with lots of problems, poisons and negative effects on the people living in the area. For others there are cultural reasons why drilling into a volcano would be taken as another taking and not appreciated.

I arrived here in 1993 at the tail end of the brouhaha. It was not a happy time for a lot of local folks who felt ignored and abused.

And Jon, if you don't know what you're talking about on a subject it is hard to make any sense. Why assume that the people who were and are concerned with PGV have no basis for their positions except religon? There is more to it that knee jerk resistance to technology.
Nuclear power, for a real example, is extremely dangerous and hazardous.... not to be taken casually. Trusting Corporate America to do the right thing is a real risky proposition.

[Jon]

in other words "Jon shut up"...

Sorry, when you are told that Pele lives there and the drilling has to stop... Religion...

As far as anti-Nuclear power that is its own Religion... along with the "Green" Religion...
What ever you do, don't trust the system that has made life better and freed more people than any other... nope... don't trust it.

When it walks like a duck, sounds like a duck, and looks like a duck... odd are...



Transplanted Texan
"I am here to chew bubble gum and kick some *** ... and I'm all out of bubble gum"

[Bob Orts]

quote:

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Originally posted by rbakker

Can someone remind me why some people are so against using such a clean and abundant energy source?

---

It ranges from those who object for cultural reasons, similar to Native Americans objecting to drilling/mining in sacred areas. Some object due to historical pride, similar to those who object to drilling over the Alamo for oil or mining Gettysburg for clean low sulfur coal. Some may object on pure religious grounds similar to if wanting to build a Jack-in-the-Box in the Vatican. Still some object because of bad info from mainland armchair scientist who uses bad distorted science to instill fear. And as Rob stated, (probably the biggest reason) the local residents (those living in the area) had no say, input or were ignored, similar to government building a non WTE incinerator for the entire island in HPP and didn't tell you anything or care about what you had to say.

[Greg]

Jon, I lived here in the ninties when the Geothermal plant suffered a blowout in one of their wells. It sounded like a 747 taking off constantly for about 15 hours or more. Did I mention that I live five miles away? I still sympathise with Leilani estates and Lanipuna folks that must have gone through a nightmare with the noise, not to mention the discharge of poisonous gasses.

I'm not against Geothermal energy for religeous reasons, althought I find War for profit troubleing.

PGV has improved performance and if Helco's policy of basing their rates on the price of oil were different, geothermal might be a viable alternative.

Too bad they had to put it a half mile upwind from a large subdivision. If they did that in HPP, there'd be geezers snipping at them.

So I say develope alternative energy, but be careful and make sure the "side affects" don't negate the benefits.

By the way, they cap the old wells with concrete in a steel sleeve that's vulnerable to corrosion and guarenteed to leak eventually. Hope they use some of our .40 a KWH to maintain those suckers.

[gtill]

I too was on island at the beginning. It was an incredible screw up from the start. The Hawaiian uprising against it was the killing blow. However, now the Hawaiian community might get behind it as they feel it has proven to be a good neighbor and is the only non intermittent source we have.

Helco can't transmit what they can produce, so how about new underground island wide lines in the wish list.

And tag a certain guarantee of jobs for local hawaiian youth.

[rbakker]

Thanks, I understand the issues better now. Sad to hear they messed up such a great opportunity by being a bad neighbor. Yet as I understand it, some people were against it before work had even started.

I hope they can build on their current success.

[Jon]

yep, terrible neighbor... just wanting to provide clean renewable electricity... I am sure there were not problems at all from the other side.


Transplanted Texan
"I am here to chew bubble gum and kick some *** ... and I'm all out of bubble gum"

[gtill]

The problem was that rather than waiting for new technology which reinjected the waste heat, they vented it into the air, as was the case with the whole industry back then. The original well was so loud you could hear it for miles, and stink.

The community had every right to be pissed, but since then, and with a solid unbroken track record the community, (Hawaiian too) is coming around to see it's huge potential.

Now to get HELCO to address the transmission problems, and lower their rates!