In 2006, the Legislature required the Department of Land and Natural Resources to “provide an accounting of all receipts from lands described in Section 5(f) of the Admission Act for the prior fiscal year.” The lands described in that section … Continued
Mercury is a poison. Certain fish have high levels of mercury. To avoid being poisoned, then, you should avoid eating fish. That’s the oversimplified syllogism that has guided many consumers over the last few years, ever since alarms were raised … Continued
GEMS Update: The Green Energy Market Securitization program, which was the subject of several articles in the March issue of Environment Hawai`i, has signed up with Pacific Rim Bank as the provider of GEMS-backed loans. At its February 26 meeting, … Continued
When estimating the number of false killer whales that interact with the longline fishery, scientists and resource managers do not try to guess the sex of any individual caught. But a recently published study of dorsal fin disfigurements concludes that … Continued
When the Hawai`i Legislature passed Senate Bill 1087 in 2013, the bill was hailed as a way to democratize access to energy-saving technology, such as rooftop photovoltaic installations. Nearly two years later, as the program anticipated in the legislation is … Continued
One of the big puzzles about the Green Energy Market Securitization program is why it excludes loans for solar water heaters. These certainly offer the biggest bang for the buck to any customer wanting lower utility bills. And the cost … Continued
On June 4, 2014, the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism unveiled its plan to carry out Act 211 of the 2013 Legislature, which promised to bring the benefits of renewable energy to sectors of the population that had … Continued
Since 2009, customers of the Hawaiian Electric companies have been charged a Public Benefits Fee. Calculated as a percentage of usage, the fee pays a contractor to the state Public Utilities Commission who manages a program that is intended … Continued
Usually, when a state board or commission is asked to make a decision, its staff will prepare a background report. In the case of the Board of Land and Natural Resources, for example, the staff report can run to several … Continued
In researching the articles for this issue, Environment Hawai`i sought copies of contracts that the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism entered into with the Bank of New York Mellon, Renewable Finance, and Clean Power Finance. On February 24, … Continued