4 Bioenergy Myths Busted
Renewable energy technologies, including bioenergy, provide the most effective means for reducing greenhouse gases and decreasing dependence on fossil fuels. Unfortunately, the proponents of intermittent technologies, particularly solar, have taken their eye off the fossil fuel problem, and attacked other renewables, like bioenergy and geothermal, firm renewable energy projects, that must be developed to allow more solar and wind on the grid as existing oil-burning plants are retired. Firm and intermittent renewable energy technologies, should not compete but complement one another.
In attacking biomass and Honua Ola, activists have disseminated misinformation in the community about Honua Ola Bioenergy. Their claims do not stand up to scrutiny, as explained below.
Claim: Honua Ola will cut down forests and burn trees
Fact: The primary source of biomass feedstock used by Honua Ola to create renewable energy comes primarily from fast-growing eucalyptus trees, as well as albizia, strawberry guava and gorse. Eucalyptus was originally planted to start a local timber industry for the export of wood products.
Honua Ola will continuously plant and grow more eucalyptus trees than it uses in its operations and will actually increase the amount of forested land. The harvested wood will also be used to make wood products, such as furniture, flooring and veneers. By providing a market for the lower-quality parts of the tree, not suitable for wood products, Honua Ola will make a new industry viable and create more jobs in the process, including jobs in forestry and transportation.
Claim: Bioenergy production increases greenhouse gas emissions
Fact: Biomass, a renewable energy source, utilizes wood chips. Both the U.S. Environmental Protection Administration and the state Renewable Portfolio Standard recognize biomass as carbon-neutral or negative since the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere is offset in operations, like Honua Ola, which get their wood from managed forests where more trees are continuously planted and grown than used to generate power.
At Honua Ola’s modern biomass facility, for example, which features the most advanced emissions-control technologies, pollution will be reduced substantially more than at Hawaiian Electric’s power plants, which burn petroleum products. Anti-biomass activists have ignored the fact that trees release greenhouse gases when they die and decay, as all trees do. Honua Ola them to be used for energy before that happens.
Claim: Honua Ola injects hot water into the ocean
Fact: All cooling water will go through a closed loop system, like a car radiator, which absorbs heat from the turbine before it is returned to the salt water layer of the water table where it cools off at a depth of 1,500 feet as it seeps through porous rock before entering the water offshore at the ambient temperature of the marine environment. This water is non-hazardous and meets state water quality standards set by the Department of Health, which has tested and approved Honua Ola’s process.
Claim: Bioenergy creates fewer jobs than other renewable energy projects
Fact: Honua Ola Bioenergy created more than 400 construction-related jobs during plant construction and 38+ operations and maintenance jobs at the facility. When the forestry, transportation and multiplier effects of the facility are considered more than 200 good-paying full-time jobs will be created once the plant begins operating.
Honua Ola will produce more permanent jobs than any other renewable energy projects on Hawaii Island.