Big Island Geothermal Supporters Explore Possibility of Buying Island's Electric Utility (Honolulu Civil Beat)
A group of Big Island residents who have pushed for more geothermal development and lower electricity rates is exploring the possibility of converting the island’s electric utility,
Hawaii Electric Light Co., into a publicly owned cooperative in light of the pending sale of the utility’s parent company,
Hawaiian Electric Co., to Florida-based
NextEra Energy.
Hawaiian Electric Co. operates the electric utilities on Oahu, the Big Island and in Maui County.
NextEra’s purchase of the utilities is expected to close in December, pending regulatory approvals, including that of Hawaii’s Public Utilities Commission. But some Big Island residents are worried that the sale, and HECO’s focus on importing liquefied natural gas in particular, could derail efforts to bring down electricity rates.
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