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| Michael Kaleikini |
The future of Puna Geothermal Venture (PGV), a geothermal power plant on Hawaii’s Big Island, remains up in the air after lava started to enter the facility, yet not a single one of its 30 employees has been laid off as a result of it.
GRC Member Michael Kaleikini, PGV’s director of Hawaii affairs, told Pacific Business News that while the power plant shut down shortly after the start of Kilauea’s latest eruption on May 3, it did not lay off a single employee.
Asked if the volcanic activity, which threatens the facility, resulted in any staff cuts, Kaleikini replied: “No.”
“It is premature to speculate about our future plans,” he told PBN in an email. “We have not disbanded any activity, we are in a holding pattern until the volcanic eruption situation is clearer. We definitely do not see this situation being the end for Puna Geothermal Venture.”
“We are confident that the plant and geothermal wells do not pose a health risk to the PGV employees and the population around the plant,” Kaleikini said.
