https://www.haultail.com/news-article/15050/oahu-politicians-meet-about-big-island-bioenergy-power-plant

1. OAHU POLITICIANS MEET ABOUT BIG
ISLAND BIOENERGY POWER PLANT
The committee is worried that allowing this power plant to proceed without
an environmental assessment will set a bad precedent for any future
biomass plants wishing to start up on Oahu.
HONOLULU - ​It's a Big Island power plant, but now an O'ahu County
political party is getting involved. Thursday night, the Oahu County
Committee on Legislative Priorities is holding a public event to talk about
Hu Honua Bioenergy power plant.
Hu Honua Bioenergy's website says, when the plant is running, it can
produce up to 30-megawatts of cheap, renewable power, supplying Hawaii
Electric Light with 15 percent of its energy needs, powering up to 20,000
Big Island homes. The power comes from the steam from burning trees.
Melodie Aduja, an Oahu County committee chair in the state's Democratic
Party, is worried about what that might do to the environment, saying.

2. "[There will be a] tremendous amount of greenhouse gases as a result of
this form of renewable energy source."
She's also concerned the state didn't force this company to do an
environmental assessment because it makes renewable energy. And, it
wants the Public Utilities Commission to withdraw support for Hu Honua
Bioenergy. That's why her committee is getting involved.
KITV4 asked why an Oahu County Democratic committee is getting
involved in a Big Island issue. Aduja answers, "Anything that affects one
island is going to affect the whole state. The laws are the same."
At Thursday night's talk, political colleagues, and the public, can learn
more. Environmentalist Henry Curtis of Life of the Land is one of the
speakers. "Vegetation, forestry, and land use changes account for a fifth of
global greenhouse gases emitted. It's a worldwide issue that needs to be
tackled. We're tackling the issue on the Big Island now," he says.
The group hopes to get the attention of lawmakers and state officials, to
make Hu Honua get an environmental impact statement (EIS). "There
needs to be an EIS. There needs to be greater regulation," insists Curtis.
The state Department of Health, which oversees the permitting, says of this
meeting: "We've received hundreds of comments on this issue. We listen to
the arguments of all testifying individuals and organizations, and our
decision would be based on the merits of the application objectively. The
initiatives of an individual political action group wouldn't necessarily have
an effect on the outcome of our enforcement activities."
The EIS process is triggered as described by HRS Chapter 343. The Office
of Environmental Quality Control, an attached agency to DOH, is the
agency in charge of facilitating Hawaii's environmental review process.
Hu Honua's website says it meets or exceeds current air emissions
standards, and complies with all Department of Health and EPA

3. requirements. Hu Honua says the plant is slated to open in the first quarter
of 2019.
The other guest speaker is attorney Lance Collins, also with Life of the
Land. The meeting is Thursday, December 20, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the
Democratic Party of Hawaii Headquarters at 627 South St., Ste. 102.
Hu Honua Bioenergy's full statement:
"From the beginning of the development of its biomass facility in Pepeekeo,
Hawaii, Hu Honua Bioenergy has followed the approval processes set forth
by the county, state and federal governments in a transparent manner and
will continue to do so, working with the designated regulatory agencies with
oversight responsibility for this project.
In a decision approving the Hu Honua project, the County of Hawaii
Windward Planning Commission held that the State Department of Health
and the County of Hawaii Planning Director appropriately determined that
no Environmental Assessment (EA) or Environmental Impact Statement
(EIS) was required in connection with the Hu Honua project. This decision
was timely appealed and in early 2018, the Intermediate Court of Appeals
affirmed that the Windward Planning Commission decision regarding the
EA and EIS determination was correct.
In addition, the State Public Utilities Commission also recognized that
HELCO’s analyses show that the project provides important renewable
energy-related benefits that will contribute significantly to enabling the state
to meet its renewable portfolio standard (RPS) goals, and that over its
30-year life, the Hu Honua project will bring Hawaii Island approximately 11
percent closer to meeting the RPS goal levels.
Biomass is designated as a renewable source of energy under Hawaii law.
The Hu Honua biomass plant will produce firm dispatchable renewable
energy which is designed to directly replace existing fossil fuel fired oil

4. plants due to its firm dispatchable capabilities (unlike variable or
intermittent solar or wind, which are currently unable to provide firm
dispatchable 24/7 power similar to existing fossil fuel plants at similar cost).
The biomass plant will rely on crops (e.g., eucalyptus trees and invasive
species) from commercial managed forests that were originally intended for
export overseas but are currently being underutilized as the export market
never came to fruition. So Hu Honua intends to make use of such idle
commercial crops and re-plant crops on island after use to ensure a
renewable and sustainable source of energy. Hu Honua’s ability to replace
existing fossil fuel emissions together with the re-planting of crops will
result in a significant net reduction of existing carbon emissions, which is
good for the environment."