December 25, 2013 - Volume 29, Issue 52
The
Molokai Dispatch M o lo k a i n e w s , M o lo k a i S t y l e - w w w. t h e m o lo k a i d i s patc h . co m
2013 YEAR IN REVIEW
Since 1985
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Ja n u a r y - Ju n e Kualapu`u students competed in huki huki during January’s annual Makahiki games.
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Makahiki huk
Across the state, residents rallied to protest GMOs; a rally was held on Molokai in March.
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Community members, American Safari Cruises staff, state officials and protesters gathered to sign an agreement in January that concluded more than a year of conflicts over the docking of the yacht Safari Explorer.
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This year, Kamakou Preserve celebrated 30 years since its establishment as The Nature Conservancy’s first Hawaii preserve, under the leadership of Ed Misaki. The Dispatch printed its second annual food issue in June, highlighting local restaurants, groceries and food producers.
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Students heralded the annual May Day Celebration at Kilohana School.
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i huki competit
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Zumba participants danced the morning away at the 2013 Keiki Expo in February.
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Catholic dignitaries from across the country gathered to celebrate the canonization of St. Marianne in Kalaupapa in January.
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Lady Farmers Basketball team won the Division II MIL Championship against Seabrdy Hall in February. Photo courtesy Hoku Haliniak
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Zumba May Day 2013
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fun at t he Keiki E 9th Annual xpo
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Channeling the Energy By Catherine Cluett | Editor-In-Chief
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his year was full of energy, and took Molokai residents on a rollercoaster ride of proposed renewable energy projects, challenges and innovative conversations that put the island at the forefront of the state’s energy plans. 2013 began with continuing opposition to the state’s proposed so-called “Big Wind” energy plan that would place 70 400-foot tall wind turbines on Molokai to supply energy to Oahu via an undersea cable. The project would have involved Molokai Ranch leasing 11,000 acres to wind company Pattern Energy. But in February, the Ranch called off the lease deal, signaling the end of the largescale wind project on Molokai. Molokai residents pay among the highest electric rates in the nation, second only to Lanai. “We’ve got a real problem -- people can’t afford their [electric] bills,” said Cheryl Corbiell of I Aloha Molokai, a local nonprofit that has spearheaded local renewable
energy exploration. Molokai also uses the least amount of electricity per customer in the state. “No one in Hawaii is using less energy per capita,” said Doug McLeod, Maui County energy commissioner. “Due to the high price of electricity, Molokai people are conserving energy at a greater rate than anyone else.” As residents follow a growing trend of installing solar panels on their homes in an effort to reduce their electric bills, the Molokai electric grid has been experiencing increased power outages. About one-fifth of Molokai’s electricity comes from photovoltaic energy, according to Maui Electrics Mathew McNeff, and that high percentage is causing instabilities in the flow of electricity because solar is a variable source. Now, energy researchers have proposed a multi-million dollar project they hope will help stabilize the island’s electricity supply. A giant two-megawatt battery has been proposed that can kick in to stabilize the grid at a moment’s notice, said Richard Rocheleau, director of the University of
Hawaii’s Hawaii Natural Energy Institute. He anticipates the battery will be operational by this summer. With an industrial scale wind farm no longer under discussion for Molokai, the community is now looking toward the island’s energy future. Many options are being discussed in a conversation called the Molokai Clean Energy Initiative (MCEI) that has included residents, land owners, state and county officials and other energy stakeholders. One discussion has explored the idea of creating a Molokai electric cooperative, as on Kauai. McLeod said financially, a co-op option might be viable for Molokai residents, utilizing billions in unused federal money designated for rural electric system use. A new proposal is also on the table for Molokai that would combine solar and stored hydroelectric power with the goal of 100 percent renewable energy for the island and lowered electric rates for local custom-
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The
Molokai Dispatch
P.O. Box 482219 Kaunakakai, HI 96748
Lady Fa MIL Basketb rmers, all Champions ers. The project, called Ikehu Molokai, is still in the early stages of discussion as a joint endeavor between Californiabased Princeton Energy Group and landowner Molokai Ranch. The proposal relies on federal tax credits that expire in 2016 to fund the project. With the end to an eventful year, 2014 could bring many changes and opportunities for the island’s energy climate.