Pacific Business News (plus videos) 5-24-18… “Is this the end for geothermal energy in Hawaii?”

I’m posting a couple videos and/or links before the article, which announced that a lava flow from fissure 7 has crossed onto Puna Geothermal Venture (PGV) property, and may be continuing to advance onto the PGV. I know there are many here who feel that this project was hewa (Hawaiian for “wrong”, “error”, “faulty”) from the start. In my view, the land should not be treated like this, as heavy pounding of wells has to be carried out. It was hewa from the start, and in my view, Pele may be taking out this PGV project. Pele will decide… not the state or the county or ORMAT industries.

Recall that Dr. Michael Salla researched this venture and found it was likely a Rothschild funded project (Kp blog post) which may have had the intention of creating a fault trigger. In any event, this article contends that the current Kilauea eruption may spell the end of PGV, and geothermal in general, for the Big Island.
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[youtube=https://youtu.be/3lZNw98G05Q&w=450]
https://youtu.be/3lZNw98G05Q
[youtube=https://youtu.be/YEt_sFoJ8kg&w=450]
https://youtu.be/YEt_sFoJ8kg

Longer video including interview with Gov. Ige and PGV related persons: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8jca2t5JXE

“Puna Geothermal Venture has become a household name over the past several weeks. The geothermal power plant on Hawaii’s Big Island has been threatened by a number of lava flows since the start of Kilauea’s latest eruption on May 3. This week, lava flows entered the plant’s property destroying a building and causing concerns among officials and residents about the potential of a well-head blowout.

“…the question about Puna Geothermal’s future, as well as the future of geothermal energy in Hawaii, loom large. PGV, which started operations in 1993, is the only geothermal facility in the state. With a contracted capacity of 38 megawatts, the plant provides around one-quarter of the island’s daily energy demand.

“…additional geothermal energy resources may exist in West Hawaii and on Maui. Those possible sites have not been tapped due to a number of factors, including cost concerns, potential environmental impacts and public resistance.

““This might be the end for geothermal in Hawaii,” Peck said. “Opponents of the technology will use the current situation to prevent future developments.””

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Is this the end for geothermal energy in Hawaii?
By HJ Mai, Web Editor/Energy Reporter, Pacific Business News May 24, 2018, 2:30pm HST

Puna Geothermal Venture has become a household name over the past several weeks. The geothermal power plant on Hawaii’s Big Island has been threatened by a number of lava flows since the start of Kilauea’s latest eruption on May 3.

This week, lava flows entered the plant’s property destroying a building and causing concerns among officials and residents about the potential of a well-head blowout. However, as of Wednesday, officials were able to quench or seal all 11 geothermal wells at the site, effectively mitigating the risk posed from the potential release of toxic gases.

With the threat largely eliminated, the question about Puna Geothermal’s future, as well as the future of geothermal energy in Hawaii, loom large. PGV, which started operations in 1993, is the only geothermal facility in the state. With a contracted capacity of 38 megawatts, the plant provides around one-quarter of the island’s daily energy demand.

Geothermal energy simply harnesses the heat beneath the earth’s surface to power steam turbines, which in turn generate electricity.

“It is a source of stable, cheap power,” Ted Peck, CEO of Honolulu-based Holu Energy told Pacific Business News. “[The Big Island] has 4,400 megawatts of potential capacity. There are plenty of places to get geothermal from, we just need to go and find some other ones.”

According to Hawaiian Electric’s website, additional geothermal energy resources may exist in West Hawaii and on Maui. Those possible sites have not been tapped due to a number of factors, including cost concerns, potential environmental impacts and public resistance.

The current situation surrounding Puna Geothermal is expected to further hurt geothermal’s public perception as a reliable and renewable energy resource.

“I don’t see a successful path forward for geothermal on this island in my lifetime,” Marco Mangelsdorf, president of Big Island-based ProVision Solar said. “PGV is gone for good, or bad depending on who you talk to.”

The state’s goal of reaching 100 percent renewable energy by 2045 has also been affected by the shutdown of the plant, which is owned by Nevada-based Ormat Technologies Inc. Big Island utility company Hawaii Electric Light Co., a subsidiary of Honolulu-based Hawaiian Electric, led all Islands with 57 percent renewable energy generation in 2017.

“HELCO’s renewable percentage will take a substantial hit and we’ll be more reliant on imported fuels at least in the near term,” Mangelsdorf said.

Despite the loss of Puna Geothermal, the grid on the Big Island has remained stable. HELCO and its parent Hawaiian Electric have so far not decided what the future will look like for their relationship with the independent power producer.

“We won’t know the status of the plant until the emergency is over,” Jim Kelly, vice president, corporate relations at Hawaiian Electric, told Pacific Business News in an email. “Geothermal energy has been a part of the state’s renewable resource planning for more than 30 years. Situations like this are why we use a portfolio approach, looking at a broad range of resources, because circumstances can change.”

According to CNBC, Puna Geothermal represents only about 4.5 percent of Ormat Technologies’ worldwide generating capacity. Last year, the plant generated about $11 million in net income for the company. Since the start of the eruption, the company’s stock price has fallen by more than 10 percent.

Ormat itself declined to speculate about the future of its Hawaii plant. “With all due respect, there are currently more pressing matters to tend to than commenting on the future of PGV,” Michael Kaleikini, senior director for Hawaii affairs at Ormat, told PBN.

“This might be the end for geothermal in Hawaii,” Peck said. “Opponents of the technology will use the current situation to prevent future developments.”