Posted on: Friday, April 12, 2002

Ridge decision due by July 15

By James Gonser
Advertiser Urban Honolulu Writer

The Board of Land and Natural Resources heard testimony yesterday from Hawaiian Electric Co., Life of the Land, Malama O Manoa and the Outdoor Circle. Many in the audience displayed slogans supporting or opposing the Wa'ahila Ridge power-line project. Eugene Tanner • The Honolulu Advertiser

The fate of Hawaiian Electric Co.'s $31 million power-line project on Wa'ahila Ridge is now in the hands of the state Board of Land and Natural Resources.

The board heard final arguments from HECO and three project opponents — Life of the Land, Malama O Manoa and the Outdoor Circle — concerning the utility's application for a conservation district use permit.

A final decision is due by July 15.

No public testimony was allowed at yesterday's hearing in the Capitol auditorium, but more than 200 people who filled the room made their opinions known by holding signs and wearing

T-shirts for or against the project.

Attorney Ben Kudo, representing HECO, presented his client's case first. Each party had 25 minutes to speak.

Kudo said the project would provide a substantial public benefit and is consistent with conservation district use.

"The proposed use will benefit the public by strengthening the critical electrical transmission system infrastructure that serves the eastern half of O'ahu," Kudo said. "This projects also gives HECO operational flexibility to schedule maintenance activities or respond to unexpected events."

HECO wants to install a 138,000-volt transmission line to link the Pukele substation at the back of Palolo Valley to the Kamoku substation at Date and Kamoku streets, 3.8 miles away.

The project would replace 20 40-foot wooden poles between Dole Street and the Pukele substation with steel poles as tall as 110 feet.

HECO officials said the work is needed to ensure service to 54 percent of its customers and to prevent major power failures.

Environmental and historic preservation groups say the project is not needed and the construction would be an unsightly intrusion upon the conservation district and detract from its use by Native Hawaiians as a cultural and spiritual site.

Attorney Guy Archer, representing the Outdoor Circle, said upgrades to existing lines make the system 98 or 99 percent reliable and another blackout is unlikely.

"We're talking redundancy here, not reliability," Archer said. "We don't need to run a line up to Pukele."

Henry Curtis, head of the Life of the Land, said that the Legislature has set a goal for Hawai'i to become self-sufficient in energy and that HECO's putting up more lines only continues dependence on burning oil to generate electricity.

Corey Park, representing Malama O Manoa, said the large steel poles will adversely affect use of the ridge and should not be allowed under guidelines for conservation land.

Reach James Gonser at jgonser@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-2431.