Ka`u News Briefs April 4, 2011

Honu`apo Lookout is one of the spectacular stops on the proposed State Scenic Byway in Ka`u.  Photo by Julia Neal

HAWAIIAN ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES and `Aina Koa Pono are hoping the state Legislature will change the Public Utilities Commission law to support their project for a refinery near Pahala and an energy farm between Na`alehu and Pahala. The House Finance Committee last week deferred a measure that would allow the PUC to approve the electric company spreading the cost of new projects across its customer base. That would include raising rates in O`ahu and Maui Counties as well as Hawai`i County by an average of under $2 per month to pay for the $320 million Aina Koa Pono refinery and farm.
     The PUC had ruled that `Aina Koa Pono biofuel would be used only on the Big Island and not in the other counties. Current law prohibits charging other customer bases for energy they do not receive, and the electric company and `Aina Koa Pono went to the legislature to change the law.
     They testified that the change in the law would allow would help the electric company comply with state demands to use more sustainable, alternative energies. The bill is scheduled for decision-making today in the House Finance and Consumer Protection Committees at 5:30 p.m. at the state capitol. The bill number is SB1347, and the public can go online and submit comments. 

Richard Lim

     Richard Lim, the new Director of the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism testified last week that he supports the bill to allow utility affiliates to aggregate their renewable portfolios so that costs can be shared around the state. The bill would also allow electric utility companies to use an automatic rate adjustment clause to recover costs for renewables. Lim said that aggregating costs can bring down rate impacts for residents on the neighbor islands and encourage more renewable energy development and lead to economic growth and jobs for these communities.

THE BUDGET BATTLES continue in the County Council this week. Council Chair Dominic Yagong proposes that county police officers and firefighters absorb a minimum five percent pay cut. He noted that all other county workers have taken furloughs and seen their income decrease, while police and fire have twice seen a more than 20 percent increase in pay during the last four years. Police and fire union contracts expire at the end of June, and cuts would have to be negotiated with the labor leaders. Yagong also wants to continue county worker furloughs, which Mayor Billy Kenoi wants to end on July 1.

THE KA`U CHAMBER OF COMMERCE has filed a nomination for Highway 11 in Ka`u to be designated as a State Scenic Byway. The Chamber established a committee with members: Chair Marge Elwell; Rell Woodward and Dallas Decker, of the Ka`u Chamber; Laura Schuster, Rita Pregana and Lora Gale, of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park; John Replogle, of The Nature Conservancy; Kenny Joyce, of Kalaekilohana; Wendy Vance, of Ka `Ohana O Honu`apo; Blossom De Silva and Lehua Lopez, of the Hawaiian Civic Club; Doug Sensenig, of Hawaiian Islands Land Trust; Lee McIntosh, of `O Ka`u Kakou; and Dennis Elwell, of Na`alehu Main Street. The committee chose a theme: “The Slopes of Mauna Loa,” and stressed the large stretches of untouched landscape. The Ka`u Chamber will meet at the Ocean View Community Center at 6:30 p.m., Monday, April 25, where Elwell will review the Scenic Byways program and nomination application.

SIGN UP TODAY FOR THE FREE Kahuku Junior Ranger Day on Saturday, April 9. Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park and the Queen Lili`uokalani Children’s Center invite keiki to bring the families to explore Kahuku and learn about ancient traditions of navigation and modern-day global positioning systems. The program is from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and lunch will be provided. To register, call 985-6019. 

     The Kahuku Unit is now open to the public on most weekends. 

THE DRIVERS LICENSE DEPARTMENT at the Ka`u Police Station in Na`alehu has a new direct phone number. It is 854-7214. Drivers license examiner Katherine Okamura asks that residents leave messages and she will call them back to schedule appointments. The office is open on Tuesday and Wednesday each week. Services offered are: written tests for motorcycle and vehicle permits, license renewals and replacements, out-of-state transfers and road tests. Hawai`i drivers licenses are renewable six months prior to the expiration date. 

This 1924 eruption at Kilauea was much smaller than the 1790 blast.

THE EXPLOSIVE 1790 ERUPTION OF KILAUEA is the topic at After Dark in the Park tomorrow night at 7 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium. Geologist Don Swanson, along with Bruce Houghton and Samantha Weaver of UH-Manoa, present the results of their most recent research into what happened and if it could happen again.