COMMENTARY
New power plant critical for O'ahu's future
By Mike Fitzgerald
Given O'ahu's growing energy demands, a new plant in Campbell Industrial Park is an essential part of Hawai'i's short-term (one to five years) energy solutions in addition to everything we can do with renewable energy, conservation and maximizing efficiencies.
Hawaiian Electric Co. released its Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) last week, which outlines O'ahu's projected energy needs for the next five to 20 years. Hawaiian Electric is projecting that by 2009, O'ahu's energy demands will increase by about 285 megawatts. From my experience on the IRP Advisory Board, HECO is doing everything it can to meet this need. The plan calls for additional energy conservation measures amounting to 69 megawatts to ensure there's enough power to go around. Unfortunately, renewable energy resources alone will not come close to filling the demand within the next five years.
For example, one renewable energy measure is a proposed wind farm on Kahe Ridge comprising 24 to 26 wind towers. This, however, will generate only 39 of the projected 285 megawatts of power necessary to meet O'ahu's energy requirements. Moreover, a wind farm requires a sufficient amount of wind to function. So, on days with no wind, it doesn't work.
The Kahe wind towers may also face opposition from neighbors who might object to towers adjacent to their homes.
Photovoltaic solar panels also would take up a huge amount of space to generate enough energy to supply demand. Do we want panel farms covering half of O'ahu to meet a quarter of our energy needs? It's doubtful that the residents would support this.
Without the new plant, we won't be able to meet our current energy needs. However, once the new plant is built, we need to look at ways to ensure it's the last power plant built on O'ahu.
How do we do this? We can take immediate steps to reduce energy use in our homes and businesses by installing solar water heaters, building new homes with energy-efficient construction and positioning them to take advantage of trade winds for cooling. We can also buy energy-efficient lighting, computers and copiers for our businesses. We can demand energy-efficient building standards.
HECO is working to ensure rebates are awarded for taking such energy-saving measures. We also should work with our legislators to create tax breaks to encourage Hawai'i businesses to be energy efficient.
Most importantly, we must look at new renewable-energy technologies for the long run. Fortunately, the new power plant is actually part of the renewable solution. It can burn biofuel when the feed stock is available in large enough quantities. Biofuels from plants, such as corn, can be grown on O'ahu and burned instead of fossil fuels in the new power plant, which could be a big opportunity for agriculture growers on all the islands.
Until we get to the point where biofuels are viable, the new 100-megawatt power plant will burn naptha, a cleaner fuel than that burned in existing O'ahu plants. Naptha is extracted from current oil derivatives that are now in excess supply on O'ahu, ensuring that we will not have to import any additional barrels of fuel to power the new plant.
We've entered a time on this planet that requires a new spirit of responsibility, restraint and collaboration to clearly understand the considerable challenges that confront us. How we on O'ahu face the challenge of ensuring that we all have enough energy to fuel our homes, schools and businesses will be an indication of our ability to solve other big challenges facing us. Will we point fingers at each other and at HECO, or will we all work to use less energy, and to make alternative-energy sources a viable part of our energy menu?
We will need a new power plant in 2009. We still have time to make sure that we don't need another in the next 20 years.
Mike Fitzgerald is president and CEO of Enterprise Honolulu. He wrote this commentary for The Advertiser.
