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Geothermal Energy in Hawai'i : an Analysis of Promotion and Regulation

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Geothermal Energy in Hawai'i : an Analysis of Promotion and Regulation University of Montana ScholarWorks at University of Montana Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers Graduate School 2001 Geothermal energy in Hawai'i : an analysis of promotion and regulation Annie Szvetecz The University of Montana Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd Let us know how access to this document benefits ou.y Recommended Citation Szvetecz, Annie, "Geothermal energy in Hawai'i : an analysis of promotion and regulation" (2001). Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers. 8258. https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/8258 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at ScholarWorks at University of Montana. It has been accepted for inclusion in Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks at University of Montana. For more information, please contact [email protected]. GEOTHERMAL ENERGY IN HAWAI I: AN ANALYSIS OF PROMOTION AND REGULATION By Annie Szvetecz presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science Environmental Studies Program The University of Montana August 2001 Approved y Chaiiperson Dean, Graduate School Date Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. UMI Number: EP39059 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. UMT OiSMrtation Pufcdi»h»ng UMI EP39059 Published by ProQuest LLC (2013). Copyright in the Dissertation held by the Author. Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code uest* ProQuest LLC. 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. CONTENTS CHAPTER 1. Introduction ...................................................................... .................................. 1 2. Overview of Geothermal Development in Hawai i ................................................... 4 Brief History ...............................................................................................................4 3.H G P- A ........................................ 11 Early History .............................................................................................................. 11 Hawai i's First Geothermal Production W ell .......................... 16 The HGP-A Power Plant ........................................................................ 19 Beyond HGP-A .................................................................................................. 31 A Long Slow Death .................................................................................................. 32 4. Puna Geothermal Venture ...........................................................................................38 Early History ..............................................................................................................38 Exploration P h a se ..................................................................................................... 39 Development Phase ........................................................... 45 Expansion Phase ........................................................................................................58 5. State Involvement ........................................................................................................62 Geothermal Promoter ............................................................................................... 63 Geothermal Regulator ............................................................................................... 83 6. County Involvement ....................................................................................................98 Geothermal Promoter ............................................................................................... 99 Geothermal Regulator ..............................................................................................112 7. Proposals for Regulatory Reform .............................................................................137 TABLES 1. Geothermal Wells Drilled in Puna as o f2001 ....................................................... 143 2. HGP-A Generator Project, Sample List of Periods of Open Venting ...................144 3. Hawaii County Civil Defense Agency Declared Emergencies at Puna Geothermal Venture .........................................................................................145 11 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 4. Government Committees And Task Forces on Geothermal Development in Hawai i ........................................................................................ 146 FIGURES 1. Island o f Hawai i and Puna D istrict .........................................................................147 2. Geothermal Wells in Puna, Hawai i ....................................................................... 148 3. Geothermal Resource Subzones ...............................................................................149 APPENDIX A. Community Statement Regarding the Mediation of PGV's Proposed Geothermal Resource Permit Amendments .......................................... 150 B. Conflicts of Interest: The Revolving Door of Geothermal Players .....................155 C. Letter From Cassidy and Associates Related to Geothermal Lobbying Efforts ......................................................................................... 158 REFERENCES ................... 159 111 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. CHAPTER 1 Introduction Leaks are occurring day and night, causing families to wake from the stench o f hydrogen sulfide, and having immediate bouts o f diarrhea, vomiting, burning eyes and noses in both children and adults. I think it's really improper for the health o f our community to depend on which way the wind blows. Puna Resident, October 1992 In theory, geothermal en er^ provides a safe and effective alternative to fossil fuel energy sources in many locations around the world. It has also been one of the most controversial land-development schemes in Hawai i' since statehood in 1959. Once touted as a panacea for Hawai i's dependence on imported oil, geothermal development has been the proverbial "boondoggle": a development failure that clearly indicates that geothermal is not an appropriate energy option in Hawai i. Unlike most of the volumes of scientific, political, and sociological articles, papers, theses, and dissertations that have been written on this subject, the following chapters of Hawai i's geothermal story provide an alternative perspective to the popularized myth about the issue. Most writers have claimed that, although the pursuit of geothermal has had some problems, the research and development of geothermal energy in Hawai i has been based on a noble pursuit of a safe indigenous energy source that is necessary in the context of a growing oil importation crisis. That analysis avoids a basic question: Would a historical perspective of this energy "paradigm," jfrom conception to production, indicate that geothermal development is no more noble and justifiable than the ' Hawaiian words are not Italicized as foreign words in Üiis paper because the author respects the Hawaiian language as being indigenous to the place tiiat is being written about. The correct spelling of Hawaiian words such as "Hawai i" includes the use of the 'okina (glottal stop). The Hawaiian spelling is included in this paper except when the word refers to names of people, titles and organizations diat do not include the correct spelling in their name. 1 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. environmentally and culturally destructive pursuits in Hawai i's colonial history such as the sandalwood trade, whaling, cattle ranching, and sugar cane and pineapple cultivation? Hawai i's post-plantation era economic base has been tourism. Geothermal energy development was originally developed to help facilitate tourism by establishing an "energy colony" on the Big Island for transporting electricity via underwater cable. Geothermal was also developed with the hope that heavy industries such as the processing of undersea mining materials and a new spaceport would be attracted to the islands. While the price tags on such large-scale pursuits have discouraged private investors, there continues to be interest in expanding geothermal development for both electric and non-electric uses such as "geothermal spas," food drying, hydrogen production and other direct uses of heat Since the early 1970's, the State of Hawaii and Hawaii County (the Big Island) have been in the business of constructing and promoting geothermal energy as a development strategy, not as an energy strategy. The best evidence of this is the fact that cheaper, cleaner and more effective means to reduce oil consumption, such as "demand-side management," solar hot water, and transportation efficiency have received
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