Emotions Run High As Supporters Rally to Save Jobs in Pepeekeo
PUC Decision to Shut Down Honua Ola Bioenergy Facility Would Eliminate 200+ Hawaii Island Renewable Energy Jobs for the Next 30 Years
President and CEO of Honua Ola Bioenergy Warren Lee addressed employees and supporters on Monday at their plant in Pepeekeo. Photo credit: Honua Ola Bioenergy.
Pepeekeo, HI (July 20, 2020) — Reeling from the Public Utilities Commission’s (PUC) stunning decision on July 9 – if it stands – to shut down Honua Ola Bioenergy and put them out of work, employees and their families gathered today with union, business and community leaders to rally to save their jobs.
The PUC made its decision despite the fact that twice before, in 2013 and 2017, the PUC approved a Purchase Power Agreement (PPA) for Honua Ola to begin providing low-cost, renewable energy on a 24/7 basis for Hawaii Island homes and businesses in place of fossil fuels. In both cases, implementation of the PPA was delayed due to legal challenges.
Most recently, in 2019, the Hawaii State Supreme Court faulted the PUC for not explicitly considering greenhouse gas emissions in its 2017 approval – even though the PUC had this information – and for not holding an evidentiary hearing so that all parties could address this issue.
On July 9, the PUC ruled that the PPA for Honua Ola was dismissed and the docket was closed, precluding an evidentiary hearing and effectively killing the project.
In response, Honua Ola today is filing a Motion for Reconsideration with the PUC, the next step in the legal process to have the ruling overturned and protect the employees’ jobs.
The gravity of the PUC’s decision is weighing heavily on Honua Ola’s employees and what the future holds for themselves, their fellow coworkers and the families that depend on these jobs.
Warren Lee, president of Honua Ola Bioenergy, stated, “We are not going to accept an unjust and unfair ruling from a state commission whose members clearly do not understand our island, our community or our people.
“The PUC doesn’t seem to care that we are in the middle of a pandemic and that we are experiencing record high unemployment on Hawaii Island. It doesn’t bother them to pull the plug on our project when it’s 99% complete and take away jobs from 60-plus people, and also extinguish more than 140 additional jobs that Honua Ola would support.
“It doesn’t seem to bother the PUC commissioners and staff, none of who live on Hawaii Island, that they ordered us to complete Honua Ola and have our employees invest their time into learning a new career. The PUC doesn’t care that, based on their direction, we have already invested more than $400 million into building this facility.”
Lee continued, “Not only did the PUC order us to complete this plant, they approved a waiver from competitive bidding twice just to make sure we could get our clean renewable energy online as quickly as possible. Now they have canceled the waiver, which is not what the Hawaii State Supreme Court asked them to consider.”
Also addressing the crowd to voice their support for Honua Ola’s employees and concerns about the PUC’s decision were KTA Super Stores Executive Vice President Derek Kurisu, Hawaii Island Chamber of Commerce President Rhea Lee-Moku, and former Hawaii State Representative Jerry Chang (District 2). Additionally, representatives from ILWU Local 142, IBEW 1186, and the Hawaii Regional Council of Carpenters attended the rally to show their support.
The PUC’s decision places a greater strain on Hawaii Island’s economic recovery, which is already suffering a devastating blow due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Without the approval of the PPA, the island will continue to rely on fossil fuels and oil-fired power plants, which Honua Ola was designed to replace, while also setting Hawaii back in reaching its goal of using 100% clean renewable energy by 2045.
With an approved PPA, Honua Ola would reduce the amount of costly imported oil used on Hawaii Island by 250,000 barrels a year, a savings of some $20 million that will go into the local economy, instead of petroleum companies. Honua Ola would also provide 100% firm sustainable renewable energy by using locally grown and harvested commercial crops and planting more trees than harvested to ensure the plant is carbon neutral.
HOW TO HELP: For anyone wanting to support the employees of Honua Ola by signing a petition or sending a letter, please visit www.HonuaOlaBioenergy.com/SupportHonuaOla.