HECO again finds no support
By James Gonser
Advertiser Urban Honolulu Writer
Two-thirds of the way through its public information meetings, Hawaiian Electric Co. does not seem to be convincing residents of the need for a new underground transmission line that is estimated to cost up to $122 million.
The second meeting last night at Dole Cannery did draw more people, about 62, compared with 28 the day before in Waipahu.
The meetings are designed to acquaint residents with HECO's plans for either a 138,000-volt underground transmission line to connect the Kamoku and Pukele substations or two 46,000-volt lines in the Ala Moana, McCully and Kapahulu areas.
A final meeting will be 7 p.m. today at Hawai'i Pacific University's Hawai'i Loa campus in Kane'ohe.
Jeremy Lam, a member of the community group Malama O Manoa, said that after seeing the first presentation on Monday, he thinks the project is not about system reliability but simply about making money for HECO shareholders.
• Option 1: A 3.6-mile, underground 138,000-volt line connecting the Kamoku substation to the Pukele substation for full reliability. It would cost between $110 million and $122 million and would add between $1.80 and $2 to the average monthly residential electric bill. • Option 2: A 0.9-mile, 46,000-volt underground line in Ala Moana, McCully and Kapahulu. This would provide only partial reliability in some areas and cost $41 million. It would add 70 cents to monthly electric bills. • Option 3: A 2.8-mile, 46,000-volt underground line also running through Honolulu — to be built only in addition to the second alternative, creating full reliability. It would add $18 million to the cost, raising the total of the two lines to $59 million and adding an average $1 a month to electric bills.
Lam said the state Public Utilities Commission can approve rate increases for a utility to cover capital improvements plus up to 9 percent profit, which he believes is the real incentive for the project.
Three alternatives for backup line
"My gut reaction is they don't care what they build as long as they got some capital improvement projects going and they get the 9 percent for their shareholders," Lam said.
"They will never admit that, but any project is better than no project and no profit. You've got to weigh the price versus the benefits and they want triple redundancy."
HECO spokesman Peter Rosegg said the project's goal is to prevent power failures, not to generate profit.
Rosegg said some of the equipment is 30 to 40 years old and fails from time to time. In 1999-2001, one of HECO's two 138,000-volt transmission lines over the Ko'olau Mountains to Pukele was inoperative for 95 days as it underwent required maintenance, Rosegg said. The fear is that both lines might go out at once — and that's why backup transmission is needed, he said.
"It hasn't happened in the last 30 years but, in the average year, one of those two lines is down at least several days," Rosegg said. "We were in a vulnerable situation where had there been an outage on the second line we would have lost power. How long would it take to find and fix the problem? No one knows."
Public opposition was a major factor in last year's defeat of a proposed $35 million project to place a power line atop Wa'ahila Ridge. Community and environmental groups said the project was not needed and would scar a historic, undeveloped area.
The utility company says this week's public meetings will allow public input on its plans before it decides which alternative to select and starts applying for building permits.
The company says one of the three alternatives will definitely be selected and presented to the PUC for approval by the end of the year. A Community Advisory Committee including residents, businesses and Wa'ahila opponents has been formed by HECO to create a report on public concerns, which will be presented to the PUC.
Manoa resident Jim Harwood, who said he came to the meeting last night with an open mind, said the price for the Palolo line seems exorbitant.
"Spending $122 million is like the cost of a NASA space shuttle," Harwood said.
Darlene Nakayama, a member of the Palolo Neighborhood Board and the Palolo Community Council, or Ho'olaulima O Palolo, attended both public meetings and said ripping up the neighborhood's streets to put in another power line is a mistake.
"Maybe if we wait a little more they will come up with a better solution so we don't have to go through the residential area."
Arthur and Rhoda Loebl live on Myrtle Street near the Pukele substation and if the transmission line were placed in Palolo, it would be directly in front of their house.
"We're plain people, but we understand where (Hawaiian Electric) is coming from. They need reliable electricity," Rhoda Loebl said. "But the lines should be where the users are."
