DOE, DBEDT to Host Public Meetings on Renewable Energy Program EIS

By Sonia Isotov

The Department of Energy and DBEDT will host three public meetings in Maui County to receive comments on the scope of the Hawai‘i Interisland Renewable Energy Program (HIREP): Wind EIS.

This Hawai‘i Interisland Renewable Energy Program (HIREP) Wind Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (HIREP Wind EIS) evaluates the environmental impacts associated with a proposed wind energy generation, transmission, and delivery program.

The program would produce renewable energy through the use of wind turbine technology on one or more Hawaiian Islands and transfer the electricity generated to another island or islands by means of one or more undersea cables for subsequent transmission and distribution to energy consumers.

Implementation of the proposed wind energy program would be a cooperative effort of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the State of Hawai‘i, represented by the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism (DBEDT), to advance the objectives of the Hawai‘i Clean Energy Initiative (HCEI), a partnership between the State of Hawai‘i and DOE with a goal of instituting a fundamental and sustained transformation in the way in which renewable energy resources are planned and used in the state.

The EIS reviews possible environmental impacts that may arise from wind energy program development under the HIREP and the range of reasonable options.

“This is an excellent forum for concerned citizens to express their opinions, speak with experts and talk about moving Hawai‘i towards a brighter energy future,” says Estrella A. Seese, Acting Energy Administrator, State Energy Office.

TIMES, DATES AND LOCATIONS:

• February 2, 2011 – Pomaika‘i Elementary School Cafeteria, 4650 South Kamehameha Avenue in Kahului, from 5:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
• February 3, 2011 – Mitchell Pau‘ole Community Center, 90 ‘Ainoa Street, Kaunakakai, Moloka‘i, from 5:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
• February 5, 2011 – Lāna‘i High & Elementary School Cafeteria, 555 Fraser Avenue, from 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Both oral and written comments will be considered by DOE and DBEDT. Requests to speak at any of the public scoping meetings should be submitted to Mr. Allen G. Kam, Esq., AICP, HIREP-Wind EIS Manager, on or before January 28, 2011, by any of the following means:

• By e-mail to [email protected]
• By submitting electronic comments on the EIS web page at www.hirep-wind.com
• By facsimile (fax) to 808-586-2536, Attention Allen G. Kam.
• By mail to: Allen G. Kam, Esq., AICP, HIREP EIS Manager, State Energy Office, Renewable Energy Branch,Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism, P.O. Box 2359, Honolulu, Hawaii 96804

Requests to speak may also be made at the meetings; however, requests received by January 28, 2011, will be given priority in the speaking order.

Additional project information can be found at the project website: www.hirep-wind.com.