Big Wind Met with Resistance on Moloka’i
Moloka’i residents opposed to Big Wind took over Pattern Energy’s meeting on Moloka’i last night (June 21, 2011). According to… more
Read MoreFriends of Lana’i: Big Wind
By ROBIN KAYE The June 14 article about Maui County’s powerful letter to the Public Utilities Commission – and the… more
Read MoreStar Advertiser: Big Wind Must Be Transparent
The attempt by Honolulu-based Life of the Land to intervene so it could gain access to all the information about the project has been rejected by the PUC. The environmental organization’s executive director, Henry Curtis, said his attempt to obtain public documents from the state has been resisted. Curtis said the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism said it would cost Life of the Land $15,000 for photocopies of all its Big Wind material, and the PUC would charge $8,000 for copies of its documents.
PUC Chairwoman Hermina Morita says it complied with the law on Curtis’s request, which asked for an overabundance of information (see today’s Letters to the Editor), and that anyone can view the commission’s website.
But while the PUC is not bound by the information disclosure standards of other state agencies, it needs to be acutely aware that public accessibility and understanding is crucial to what would be the priciest, most controversial public utility project in the state’s history, even at this pre-EIS stage. The movers and shakers need to ensure comprehensive openness as the state environmental impact statement process unfolds with an abundance of hearings and thorough public scrutiny.
Read MoreMaui County: Prevent HECO Charging Ratepayers for Big Wind Planning
Earlier this summer, Hawaiian Electric asked for a new docket, 2011-0112, to allow it to be reimbursed for $3.9 million… more
Read MoreFriends 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… more
Read More