Exceprts:
A revival of interest in geothermal energy brought key players to Waimanalo on Saturday to address the heavily Native Hawaiian community on the benefits of the renewable energy source.
Business plans were pitched as speakers warned of a looming energy crisis due to the state’s 90 percent dependency on imported fossil fuels for its energy needs.
Kuokoa’s plan, which Peck pitched to a half-full auditorium, includes a major role for geothermal, bringing the energy from the Big Island to Oahu, and possibly Maui, via undersea cables. Such was the plan 30 years ago.
The company also wants to take the publicly traded HECO private, which it says will allow for greater flexibility in transitioning to clean energy. Peck said Kuokoa would retire the oil-fired generators, in which billions have been invested, and absorb the loss.
