Ka`u News Briefs Feb. 12, 2011

Puna Geothermal is a closed system using hot water and steam from underground,
 injecting it back into the volcano.

MORE GEOTHERMAL power will be produced under a new agreement between Hawaiian Electric Light Company and Ormat Technologies, which owns Puna Geothermal Venture. It also provides geothermal on the mainland, in Brady and Jersey Valley, Nevada; in Mammoth, Herber, Ormesa and Brawley, California; in Steamboat, Colorado; and in Guatemala, Kenya and Nicaragua. They are also working on three geothermal plants in Oregon.
     Ormat’s Puna Geothermal plant currently provides 30 megawatts of power and will increase its output to 38 megawatts under the new contract, which fixes the price of the power for the next 20 years. Previously, the price of the geothermal was tied to the cost of oil. A statement from the electric company says the deal will hedge against rising oil prices. The geothermal power could generate lower electric rates, and the contract soon goes before the Public Utilities Commission for approval. Hawaiian Electric Industries, the parent company of HELCO, posted a profit of $25 million last quarter.

AVERAGE CREDIT CARD DEBT in Hawai`i was second highest in the country last month, according to a story in Pacific Business News and CreditKarma.com. New Hampshire had the highest average credit card debt in the nation last month at $8,607. The average in Hawai`i was $8,439. 

SMOKING COULD BE ALLOWED in the 400 bars across the islands if O`ahu Senator Mike Gabbard has his way. The bars would pay permit fees of $1,000 to $3,000 a year. Restaurants with bars would still be prohibited from allowing smoking, as would all other public places. The bill is supported by the Hawai`i Smokers Alliance but opposed by most health coalitions. 

Dr. John Wilkinson

A NEW EMERGENCY ROOM DOCTOR is settling in at Ka`u Hospital. Dr. John W. Wilkinson has practiced Emergency Room medicine for over 30 years in California and Honolulu. He is also an assistant clinical professor at the John A. Burns School of Medicine. “I am eager to serve this community and the hospital – I look forward to working closely with the very strong medical family at this hospital,” he said. 

DECISION-MAKING FOR TAX CREDITS proposed for biofuel producers has been delayed in legislative committees until next Tuesday, February 15. Discussion around the measure centers on whether tax credits should be for capacity of the biofuel plant or for its actual production and whether both small and large biofuel efforts should receive the tax credit.

Looking down into the vent at Halema`uma`u Crater.

A CIRCULATING LAVA LAKE has been coming within 260 feet of spilling over onto the floor of Halema`uma`u Crater in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. The activity includes a heave and ho of the lava rising and falling inside the vent. The lava lake has been visible on web cam. The glow can also be seen from the Jaggar Museum, and a glowing plume can be viewed at night from Hwy 11. Dozens of earthquakes this past week included a 2.4, 2.7, 3.2 and 3.8, all south and east of the crater. See the Hawai`i Volcanoes Observatory website for more. 

A PROGRAM COVERING Gov. Neil Abercrombie’s confirmation ceremony at Pahala Plantation House in December airs tonight at 10:30 p.m. on Channel 54. The program is scheduled to air every Saturday this month at 10:30 p.m. and every Tuesday at 9 p.m. It was filmed by Wendell Ka`ehu`ae`a, general manager of KAHU-FM 91.7, Ka`u’s Community Radio station.

THE FRIENDS OF HAWAI`I VOLCANOES National Park sponsor a hike to the top of Mauna Ulu and back tomorrow at noon. Call 967-8648 to pre-register.