Friends of Lana’i Motion Denied

The state Public Utilities Commission has denied a request by a Lanai-based community group to intervene in the decision-making process involving large-scale wind energy projects on Lanai and Molokai. The PUC said the request by Friends of Lanai was “untimely” because it was made too long after the deadline for filing motions to intervene in the docket, which was opened in November 2009. In its request to intervene, Friends of Lanai argued the deadline was no longer valid because recent developments had significantly changed the scope of the case. One of the companies that had planned to develop a 200-megawatt wind project on Molokai was forced to drop out after it missed a key deadline to provide a progress update on its plans. A second company, Castle & Cooke, met the deadline to submit its plans for a 200-megawatt wind project on Lanai. In addition to asking permission to intervene in the case, Friends of Lanai also asked the PUC to reopen the competitive bidding process for the so-called Big Wind project. The PUC, however, rejected the Friends of Lanai on both counts.