By TOM CALLIS
By TOM CALLIS
Tribune-Herald staff writer
Big Island residents will get a chance to shape Hawaii’s future energy policies this week.
The U.S. Department of Energy, a partner on the Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative, is holding two meetings — the first today in Kailua-Kona — to gain public input for an environmental impact statement regarding expansion of renewable energy.
The purpose of the EIS is to assess the impact of various energy sources that could be used to meet clean energy mandates, and potential actions DOE can take.
“We call this scoping,” said Dawn Chang, a consultant hired by the agency, “which is really trying to get input on what should be included.”
Chang said the document could help determine what projects the agency helps fund in the future.
“This is designed to help DOE as they look at potential funding,” she said.
Today’s meeting will be held from 5-8:30 p.m. at Kealakehe High School, 74-5000 Puohulihuli St., Kailua-Kona. Another meeting will be held from 5-8:30 p.m. Friday at the Hilo High School, 556 Waianuenue Ave.
DOE and then-Gov. Linda Lingle launched the initiative in 2008, setting the goal of Hawaii to achieve 70 percent of its energy from clean sources by 2030, a move intended to lessen its dependence on oil.
That ratio is broken up between renewable energy (40 percent) and energy efficiency (30 percent).
That goal could have significant impact for the island, which has the state’s largest and most easily accessible source of geothermal power.
It has the state’s only geothermal plant with a capacity of 38 megawatts. The state has shown interest in expanding that source and connecting it to other islands through an underwater cable.
Hawaii Electric Light Co. has proposed expanding that output to 50 megawatts.
But as Chang noted, geothermal is just one part of the equation.
Wind, solar, tidal and biomass projects are all on the state’s and DOE’s renewable energy radar.
“We look at anything that can support the Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative,” Chang said.
Biomass energy has already gained traction on the island.
Hu Honua Bioenergy signed a contract with HELCO in May that allows it to provide 21.5 megawatts of energy by burning biomass, primarily eucalyptus trees. The agreement has to be approved by the state Public Utilities Commission.
HELCO currently gets 36.7 percent of its energy from renewable sources. The state averages 12 percent.
The DOE held similar scoping meetings over a year ago, focusing on wind energy.
Chang said the agency decided to take a broader approach after receiving comments from the public urging it to take other sources into account.
The public comment period for the EIS will end Oct. 9. A draft EIS is expected by late 2013, Chang said.
Comments can also be submitted to hawaiicleanenergypeis@ee.doe.gov or mailed to Jim Spaeth, U.S. Department of Energy, 300 Ala Moana Blvd., P.O. Box 50247, Honolulu, HI 96850-0247.
For more information, visit www.hawaiicleanenergypeis.com.
Email Tom Callis at tcallis@hawaiitribune-herald.com.