Kū‘oko‘a

Kū‘oko‘a http://kuokoa.com Most recent posts at Kū‘oko‘a posterous.com Wed, 07 Dec 2011 18:05:00 -0800 Civil Beat: Hawaii Should Show Way to Better Energy Future http://kuokoa.com/civil-beat-hawaii-should-show-way-to-better-e http://kuokoa.com/civil-beat-hawaii-should-show-way-to-better-e

A piece by Robert Rapier and Kū‘oko‘a Chairman Richard Ha:

Over the past decade, world oil prices have advanced from approximately $25 per barrel to more than $100 per barrel. Had the price of oil merely kept pace with inflation, the $25 barrel in 2000 would have been worth just over $30 in 2010. Thus, there was a fundamental shift in the oil markets.

By 2005, the idea that the price increase was being caused by oil depletion – commonly referred to as “peak oil” – was receiving widespread attention. While some dismissed the idea of peak oil, instead offering up speculation, OPEC, growth in developing countries, or other geopolitical factors as the primary factors behind the advance in prices – oil production remained flat despite record high oil prices.

Continued at Civil Beat...

]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/98728/AaronChair300x300.jpg http://posterous.com/users/k0cncIxmlH Aaron Landry s4xton Aaron Landry Sun, 16 Oct 2011 10:02:00 -0700 Civil Beat: Geothermal Push Makes for Strange Bedfellows http://kuokoa.com/civil-beat-geothermal-push-makes-for-strange http://kuokoa.com/civil-beat-geothermal-push-makes-for-strange

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.

Read the full story at Civil Beat.

]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/98728/AaronChair300x300.jpg http://posterous.com/users/k0cncIxmlH Aaron Landry s4xton Aaron Landry Thu, 29 Sep 2011 18:02:00 -0700 Richard Ha's three-part series on energy and food security in Civil Beat http://kuokoa.com/richard-has-three-part-series-on-energy-and-f http://kuokoa.com/richard-has-three-part-series-on-energy-and-f

Part 1: Trying to be Safe by Doing Nothing is No Longer Safe
Part 2: Expensive Electricity Threatens Hawaii's Food Security
Part 3: What Works, Works

]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/98728/AaronChair300x300.jpg http://posterous.com/users/k0cncIxmlH Aaron Landry s4xton Aaron Landry Mon, 19 Sep 2011 13:21:00 -0700 Kū‘oko‘a at the Asia Pacific Clean Energy Summit: a collection of news from last week http://kuokoa.com/kuokoa-at-the-asia-pacific-clean-energy-summi http://kuokoa.com/kuokoa-at-the-asia-pacific-clean-energy-summi

Click here to see the full recap in our newsletter

]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/98728/AaronChair300x300.jpg http://posterous.com/users/k0cncIxmlH Aaron Landry s4xton Aaron Landry Fri, 16 Sep 2011 14:15:00 -0700 Civil Beat: Energy and Oil: Hawaii's Faustian Bargain http://kuokoa.com/civil-beat-energy-and-oil-hawaiis-faustian-ba http://kuokoa.com/civil-beat-energy-and-oil-hawaiis-faustian-ba

From Civil Beat:

Hawaii's near total dependence on oil to power its homes, businesses and transportation needs is putting the state's economy and security in a perilous position, leaders of the renewable energy sector say...

...read the recap of the Asia Pacific Clean Energy Expo and Summit at Civil Beat.

]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/98728/AaronChair300x300.jpg http://posterous.com/users/k0cncIxmlH Aaron Landry s4xton Aaron Landry Thu, 15 Sep 2011 19:06:04 -0700 TJ Glauthier's Presentation at the 2011 Asia Pacific Clean Energy Summit and Expo http://kuokoa.com/70514462 http://kuokoa.com/70514462

Taking CleanTech to Scale on Prezi

]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/98728/AaronChair300x300.jpg http://posterous.com/users/k0cncIxmlH Aaron Landry s4xton Aaron Landry Wed, 14 Sep 2011 01:23:00 -0700 Woolsey: "Hawaii needs to take decisive action in moving away from its dependence on foreign oil." http://kuokoa.com/woolsey-hawaii-needs-to-take-decisive-action http://kuokoa.com/woolsey-hawaii-needs-to-take-decisive-action

From Civil Beat:

“This will not work, this moving Hawaii into a position of leadership and saving Hawaii from its terrible energy dependence — it will not work without decisive action,” said Woolsey. “One can’t halfway do it.”

Read "Civil Beat: James Woolsey on Kuokoa, Hawaii's Energy Options"

]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/98728/AaronChair300x300.jpg http://posterous.com/users/k0cncIxmlH Aaron Landry s4xton Aaron Landry Mon, 12 Sep 2011 13:56:00 -0700 Woolsey: This is the place to start. Hawaii could be the place where OPEC's monopoly can meet its match. http://kuokoa.com/this-is-the-place-to-start-hawaii-could-be-th http://kuokoa.com/this-is-the-place-to-start-hawaii-could-be-th

Greentech Media: James Woolsey on Sept 11, Islam, Oil, and Hawaii: The former CIA Director speaks on the anniversary of the World Trade Center bombing.

]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/98728/AaronChair300x300.jpg http://posterous.com/users/k0cncIxmlH Aaron Landry s4xton Aaron Landry Wed, 24 Aug 2011 11:15:00 -0700 It's not us versus them. It's about what is the better idea and what is the best thing for us as a state. http://kuokoa.com/its-not-us-versus-them-its-about-what-is-the http://kuokoa.com/its-not-us-versus-them-its-about-what-is-the

From Civil Beat's "Kuokoa Board Members Headline Hawaii Energy Conference":

Two out of the six plenary speakers for a state energy conference expected to draw leaders from more than 20 countries are high-profile board members of Kuokoa.

Quoting Kū‘oko‘a President Ted Peck:

"It's not us versus them. It's about what is the better idea and what is the best thing for us as a state, and really a realization of how close to the precipice we are."

Read the whole story on Civil Beat.

]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/98728/AaronChair300x300.jpg http://posterous.com/users/k0cncIxmlH Aaron Landry s4xton Aaron Landry Fri, 05 Aug 2011 18:14:00 -0700 U.S. Ambassador to Iceland: "Hawai‘i and Iceland: A Budding Partnership?" http://kuokoa.com/us-ambassador-to-iceland-hawaii-and-iceland-a http://kuokoa.com/us-ambassador-to-iceland-hawaii-and-iceland-a "We are optimistic that Iceland and Hawaii can become partners in renewable energy and other initiatives that take advantage of their respective locations…" Read more…

]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/98728/AaronChair300x300.jpg http://posterous.com/users/k0cncIxmlH Aaron Landry s4xton Aaron Landry Sun, 17 Jul 2011 09:53:00 -0700 Star Advertiser: Heavy hitters join board to gird for HEI bid http://kuokoa.com/star-advertiser-heavy-hitters-join-board-to-g http://kuokoa.com/star-advertiser-heavy-hitters-join-board-to-g

Ex-officials of the CIA and federal Energy Department ante up as the $35 billion plan gains momentum

Read the whole story in this Sunday's Star Advertiser.

]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/98728/AaronChair300x300.jpg http://posterous.com/users/k0cncIxmlH Aaron Landry s4xton Aaron Landry Tue, 21 Jun 2011 11:02:00 -0700 Greentech Media: "Moving Hawaii From Energy Disaster to Energy Miracle" http://kuokoa.com/greentech-media-moving-hawaii-from-energy-dis http://kuokoa.com/greentech-media-moving-hawaii-from-energy-dis

From Greentech Media on Kū‘oko‘a:

The leaders of Kū‘oko‘a see "Hawaii as a canary in an oil barrel" and "one week away from starvation" in its current energy incarnation. According to Roald Marth, the CEO of this effort, "There's pain at the plug, the pump and the plate."

Read the rest at Greentech Media.

]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/98728/AaronChair300x300.jpg http://posterous.com/users/k0cncIxmlH Aaron Landry s4xton Aaron Landry Wed, 08 Jun 2011 23:37:00 -0700 Richard Ha: Big Island Supports Geothermal http://kuokoa.com/richard-ha-big-island-supports-geothermal http://kuokoa.com/richard-ha-big-island-supports-geothermal

From Richard Ha's Blog:

It is my sense that an overwhelming majority of Hawaiians on the Big Island support geothermal.
It is also my sense that folks on O‘ahu have no idea that opinions have changed from 20 years ago.

Read more: The World Has Changed: Big Island Supports Geothermal

]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/98728/AaronChair300x300.jpg http://posterous.com/users/k0cncIxmlH Aaron Landry s4xton Aaron Landry Tue, 03 May 2011 12:33:00 -0700 Six biggest publicly traded oil companies reported $38B+ in Q1 profits alone http://kuokoa.com/six-biggest-publicly-traded-oil-companies-rep http://kuokoa.com/six-biggest-publicly-traded-oil-companies-rep

Chart-oil-profits

[via CNN]

]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/98728/AaronChair300x300.jpg http://posterous.com/users/k0cncIxmlH Aaron Landry s4xton Aaron Landry Tue, 03 May 2011 08:55:00 -0700 HELCO's May Energy Cost Adjustment Factor: 11.292¢/kWh -- an increase of 4.107¢/kWh from last month http://kuokoa.com/helcos-may-energy-cost-adjustment-factor-1129 http://kuokoa.com/helcos-may-energy-cost-adjustment-factor-1129

226620_10150234425344853_127829954852_8659869_4705808_n

[via NELHA]

]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/98728/AaronChair300x300.jpg http://posterous.com/users/k0cncIxmlH Aaron Landry s4xton Aaron Landry Mon, 02 May 2011 11:54:00 -0700 FedEx: Start the Shift to a Better Future for Transportation http://kuokoa.com/fedex-start-the-shift-to-a-better-future-for http://kuokoa.com/fedex-start-the-shift-to-a-better-future-for

]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/98728/AaronChair300x300.jpg http://posterous.com/users/k0cncIxmlH Aaron Landry s4xton Aaron Landry Mon, 11 Apr 2011 14:42:00 -0700 Kū‘oko‘a CEO Roald Marth at the Rotary Club of Honolulu on the future of energy in Hawai‘i http://kuokoa.com/49247215 http://kuokoa.com/49247215

via Robyn C. Ocepek on Vimeo.

]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/98728/AaronChair300x300.jpg http://posterous.com/users/k0cncIxmlH Aaron Landry s4xton Aaron Landry Fri, 18 Mar 2011 18:16:00 -0700 The Maui News: Kuokoa is visionary on energy independence for the islands http://kuokoa.com/the-maui-news-kuokoa-is-visionary-on-energy-i http://kuokoa.com/the-maui-news-kuokoa-is-visionary-on-energy-i

Kuokoa partners are even more visionary in seeking a new level of energy independence for the islands. Hawaii consumers should applaud the effort, if they are paying any attention to the fuel adjustment portion of their monthly electric bills.

Read Edwin Tanji's Haku Mo‘olelo at The Maui News

]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/98728/AaronChair300x300.jpg http://posterous.com/users/k0cncIxmlH Aaron Landry s4xton Aaron Landry Wed, 16 Mar 2011 16:37:00 -0700 Proposed Icelandic Undersea Cable More Than Twice the Distance Between Kapaʻa and Hilo http://kuokoa.com/proposed-icelandic-undersea-cable-more-than-t-2 http://kuokoa.com/proposed-icelandic-undersea-cable-more-than-t-2

Iceland is leveraging it's indigenous resources to further strengthen their economy by selling energy to the rest of Europe. From Forbes:

The energy infrastructure of Iceland is one of the cleanest in the world, capable of producing 100 percent of its electricity from homegrown renewable energy resources such as hydro and geothermal. But since thousands of kilometers of open ocean separate the island nation from mainland Europe, sharing those clean energy resources has so far been impossible.

Building a giant cable to connect Iceland with Europe would change all of that, but such a project would also be a monumental engineering feat. Depending on the destination country, the cable would need to be between 1,200 and 1,900 kilometers (745-1,180 miles) long, which would make it “the longest sub-sea cable in the world.”

From Landsvirkjun:

A submarine cable between Iceland and neighbouring countries has been discussed for decades. Various studies have been conducted, all with the conclusion that such a project is technically viable but not economically. A desk-top study together with the Icelandic TSO Landsnet completed in 2010 indicated that this might have changed and an interconnector might be economically viable. The main rationale behind this change are higher electricity prices in Europe and increased demand for renewable energy with no or low emission of greenhouse gases

From AFP:

The project aims for the exportation of some five terawatt-hours (or five billion kilowatt-hours) each year...

At current power prices in Europe, that corresponds to between 250 and 320 million euros ($350-448 million) in exports annually, and is enough to cover the average annual consumption of 1.25 million European households.

Mind this is excess energy Iceland is generating, not including powering themselves. To put into a local perspective: Hawai‘i's geothermal resources are comparable to Iceland's, the distance between even Kaua‘i and the Big Island is less than half of the proposed Icelandic cable (and cables between Hawaiian islands are significantly less than that), and there are 0.5 million Hawaiian households.

]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/98728/AaronChair300x300.jpg http://posterous.com/users/k0cncIxmlH Aaron Landry s4xton Aaron Landry Sat, 05 Mar 2011 15:20:00 -0800 It's Not Just About Getting Off Oil; We Need To Think Bigger http://kuokoa.com/its-not-just-about-getting-off-oil-we-need-to http://kuokoa.com/its-not-just-about-getting-off-oil-we-need-to

From Richard Ha:

How about we think about moving to a place where the aloha spirit thrives? How about arming our future generations with the tools they'll need by using our brains now? How about giving people the ability to get off the streets and to a place where they can support their families in their own homes?

More at Richard Ha's Blog

]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/98728/AaronChair300x300.jpg http://posterous.com/users/k0cncIxmlH Aaron Landry s4xton Aaron Landry