Natives have right to 100 percent royalties from geothermal in Hawaii
Dancers in Hawaii (source: flickr/ leadfoot, creative commons)
Alexander Richter
20 Mar 2014
In a legal opinion by Hawaii Attorney General, it is said that 100 percent of royalties earned from geothermal resource development must go to the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands to be used for the benefits of Native Hawaiians.
In a legal opinion published by Hawaii Attorney General David Louie, it is stated that “100 percent of the royalties from geothermal resources development on Hawaiian homestead lands must be paid to the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands to be used for the benefit of Native Hawaiians.”
“Following a comprehensive legal analysis by the capable deputy attorneys general in my office, I have concluded that the DHHL has the right to receive all proceeds and income from available lands, including 100 percent of the royalties derived from geothermal resource development,” Louie said this week in a statement. “The opinion also concludes that DHHL is the state entity authorized to manage geothermal resources on Hawaiian home lands.”
This is an interesting development and will add another layer of issues for development in the state of Hawaii.
Source: Pacific Business News
