December 2013 PDF
December 2013
Biofuel Industry on Big Island Fails to Follow Through on Big Plans of 2008
Five years ago, state land on the Big Island experienced the biofuel equivalent of a gold rush. Bioprospectors – folks wanting to make a fortune from crops that could be used as feedstock in a variety of biofuel products – … Continued
Water May Be Limiting Factor On Former Galbraith Ag Lands
Within a year of purchasing more than 1,100 acres of agricultural land from Galbraith Estate, the state Agribusiness Development Corporation (ADC) has leased out about as much as it can without an additional source of water and/or requiring crop rotation. … Continued
Supplemental EIS Says Economics Don't Justify Full Build-Out at Turtle Bay
When plans to build 3,500 more units at Turtle Bay Resort resurfaced in the mid-2000’s, the move set off alarm bells among community members worried about the impacts such a massive development would have on the North Shore’s rural character, … Continued
Land Use Commission Defers Decision Regarding Turtle Bay Resort Redistricting
Serious legal questions surrounding the state Land Use Commission’s 1986 Decision and Order to redistrict of 236 acres owned by Turtle Bay Resort, LLC (TBR) will remain unanswered at least until the end of the next legislative session. On November … Continued
Withdrawn Delaware Lawsuit Sheds Light on Complex Ownership of Hu Honua Plant
When the Hu Honua plant was proposed in 2008, the owners were Ethanol Research Hawai`i, a company owned by Hawai`i alternate energy entrepreneur Daniel KenKnight, which held around 10 percent of the equity, and MMARV Bioenergy, a subsidiary of Municipal … Continued
Biomass-Fueled Power Plant Near Hilo Continues to Face Legal Challenges
When it was originally proposed, the Hu Honua Bioenergy power plant, just north of Hilo in the village of Pepe`ekeo, seemed like an answer to several challenges facing the Big Island and the state as a whole. Using wood (biomass) … Continued