The Geothermal Working Group presented their final draft of the Geothermal Working Group Report Wednesday at Hawaii County Mayor Billy Kenoi’s office.
The report, sponsored by the County of Hawaii, evaluated the use of geothermal energy as a primary source of electricity for the Big Island. The report includes an analysis of technical data and expert testimony providing convincing rationale to develop local renewable energy plants and transition away from the county’s dependence on petroleum-fueled generators for baseload electricity. The report, which is currently being circulated within Hawaii’s State Legislation and was developed as research to help support Hawaii’s Clean Energy Initiative goals.Geothermal Working Group Co-Chairs Wally Ishibashi and Richard Ha discussed the groups findings.
The Geothermal Working Group’s principal findings:
- Geothermal is a renewable resource indigenous to the island of Hawaii that is dissociated from the price volatility of petroleum fuels.
- Geothermal can be a key component in a diversified energy portfolio for Hawaii County, both for the electrical grid and for transportation.
- In Hawaii, geothermal is a firm-energy resource at lower cost than fossil fuel.
- Developing multiple geothermal plants is the most prudent approach.
- Geothermal has the potential to supply baseload electricity; long term reliability and the ability to supply grid management services (currently supplied by conventional fossil-fueled power plants) must be demonstrated in order to consider geothermal as the primary energy resource.
- With geothermal power plants, agricultural fertilizers, hydrogen, oxygen, and business-enterprise power can be produced for off-peak rates during the hours of curtailed electrical demand.
