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| An aerial view of Puna Geothermal Venture and its environs Friday afternoon. Hollyn Johnson/Hawaii Tribune-Herald |
The Planning Department, which administers the geothermal relocation program, placed a moratorium on new purchases and auctions of purchased properties in response to uncertainties surrounding the June 27 lava flow, said Joaquin Gamiao, planning administrative officer.
The decision was made this month following the purchase of five homes through the program late last year. Those purchases were the first made since the program was flooded with applications in 2012 following renewed controversy regarding geothermal power.
While the power plant and its neighbors aren’t directly impacted by lava, the concern is the flow could hamper access to the area and result in the 38 MW plant shutting down if it loses its transmission lines, Gamiao said.
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