Richard Ha writes:
Front page news today in the Hawaii Tribune-Herald newspaper:
September 28, 2012
Isle’s energy at center of debate
By PETER SUR
Tribune-Herald staff writer
The Public Utilities Commission’s public hearing on Hawaii Electric Light Co.’s rate increase and biofuel surcharge proposals is a month away, and all sides are digging in for what could be an explosive meeting.
The PUC has scheduled public hearings to gather community input on Oct. 29 at the Hilo High cafeteria and Oct. 30 at the Kealakehe High cafeteria. Both meetings start at 6 p.m.
At issue are two proposals by HELCO. One is for a $19.8 million increase in revenue, or 4.2 percent in the coming year. The other, which is being jointly proposed by Hawaiian Electric Co., is the establishment of a biofuel surcharge provision of between 84 cents to $1 per month to support a Ka‘u biodiesel refinery to be built by Aina Koa Pono.
The article goes on to discuss the Big Island Community Coalition and actions we are taking. It also discusses the Aina Koa Pono project.
Both proposals are opposed by the Big Island Community Coalition, formed by a group of prominent citizens who are asking people to come out and tell the PUC the effect of HELCO’s utility prices on their lives. Read the rest here
Did you mark your calendar yet? Come to the PUC meetings (October 29 at Hilo High cafeteria, and October 30 at Kealakehe High cafeteria; both at 6 p.m.) and here's more on what you can do to help with our mission to make Big Island electricity rates the lowest in the state.
I would like to know the answers to Bob's questions for the proposed Aina Koa Pono plant, before this month's PUC meeting on the surcharge proposal. The answers would interest the public. A written opinion based on review of the answers could be presented in a letter to the editor in local newspapers, and perhaps presented at the PUC meeting in Hilo.
Posted by: Mike Vivas | October 06, 2012 at 09:10 AM