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Utility to issue new unambitious geothermal RFP

Utility to issue new unambitious geothermal RFP Power lines in Hawaii (source: flickr/ Quinn Dombrowski, creative commons)
Francisco Rojas 30 Sep 2014

HELCO cuts from 50 MW to 25 MW the geothermal aspiration of the project on Big Island of Hawaii and shifts location in a recent energy plan announced by the company.

Reported by local media, Hawaiian utility HELCO is planning to issue a new request for proposals, this time cut down to 25 MW and at another part of the Big Island of Hawaii.

According to this same local source, Boston Pacific Co. Inc., a Washington D.C.-based consultant hired by Hawaii regulators to monitor HELCO’s bidding process is still showing concerns regarding the project.

The issue at hand seems to be the mixed signals that HELCO is sending, on one side stating that it is committed to expand geothermal development but on the other, delaying and postponing any real progress.

It seems like HELCO, which has been harshly criticised for its 50 MW RFP a while back, as reported by ThinkGeoEnergy s now again playing some delay tactics.

The RFP cut now in half and located in a different location, clearly does not seem to be tailored to get a real project going. The independent observer is very critical of the process and raises concern about the actions of HELCO in a statement published here: http://www.hawaiielectriclight.com/vcmcontent/StaticFiles/pdf/20140926_PUC_Trans_Memo_to_Parties_IO_Comments.pdf

Created as a “market test” it clearly does not show any real commitment by the utility. With electricity prices being as high as they are in Hawaii, geothermal would be an option to bring down prices and to become independent from fuel needing to be shipped to Hawaii. There are even reports that prices of a recently accepted biofuel project were higher than bids provided under the earlier 50 MW geothermal RFP.

Source: Pacific Business News