March 9th, 2022
By Chelsea Jensen
In addition to increasing pain at the pump as gas prices rise, Big Islanders could see electric bills increase substantially in the coming months following an outright ban on the U.S. import of Russian oil, natural gas and coal amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“As the U.S. and other nations stand with the people of Ukraine and impose...Read More
March 1st, 2022
Claims made in Dylan Ramos’ letter, “Burning wood for energy isn’t clean” (Star-Advertiser, Feb. 21), are factually incorrect. Based on scientific fact, growing more trees than used to produce energy is clean, renewable and dramatically reduces greenhouse gas emissions.
Stated plainly, trees consist mainly of carbon. Photosynthesis turns CO2 and water into tree biomass...Read More
February 22, 2022
Regarding the ongoing waste-of- taxpayer-money saga between the Public Utilities Commission and Hu Honua Bioenergy’s power purchase agreement (“Court rejects bid to delay approval hearing for wood burning power plant,”
Star-Advertiser, Feb. 16), the PUC should simply follow the law. Per amended statute HRS 269-6(b), the PUC “shall explicitly consider … the State’s...Read More
In a recent opinion piece, Henry Curtis and Dylan Ramos featured a statement on the importance of forests in mitigating climate change (“Burn some biomass to generate electricity — but not trees,” Island Voices, Star-Advertiser, Feb. 1). In that case, they should support the Honua Ola Bioenergy project, as it will reduce greenhouse emissions and be the first energy project in the...Read More
Friday, February 11, 2022, 12:05 a.m
Jobs and dependability
Pierre Davet (“Enough already,” Your Views, Feb. 3) asks why unions and working people support Honua Ola. There are many reasons. First, Honua Ola created more than 500 jobs in the construction of the plant and continues to employ more than 30 local people, mostly from East Hawaii Island.
Once the plant is open, it will...Read More
