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Community Development

What is community development? How should community development be governed?

Choosing Molokai’s Energy Future

Friday, March 16th, 2018

Choosing Molokai’s Energy Future

Maui Electric has identified a four-way fork in the road to Molokai’s energy future. Last week, the utility presented several options to reach the goal of 100 percent renewable energy for the island in a series of island-wide community meetings.

A large-scale solar project with battery storage, proposed by Molokai New Energy Partners, a division of Half Moon Ventures (HMV), figures largely into those options. The project includes 37 acres of solar panels to be located next to Maui Electric’s Pala`au Power Plant. An agreement between HMV and Maui Electric was recently reached, and Maui Electric submitted the proposal to the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) for review last week.…

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How to Reach Renewable Energy Goals

Monday, March 5th, 2018

Maui Electric News Release

Maui Electric Company will host community meetings to share possible options based on feedback collected from the Molokai community on how to achieve 100 percent renewable energy for the island. The meetings will start at 5 p.m. with light refreshments, followed by updates from 5:30 to 7 p.m. on the following dates and locations:

Tuesday, March 6: Kilohana Community Center Wednesday, March 7: Maunaloa Community Center Thursday, March 8: Mitchell Pau`ole Center

“We’re working toward accelerating clean energy plans for Molokai, and this includes continuous dialogue with all of you – the island’s residents and businesses throughout this process,” said Sharon Suzuki, president of Maui Electric.…

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Large-Scale Solar Moves Forward

Wednesday, February 14th, 2018

Large-Scale Solar Moves Forward

 

A large-scale solar and battery storage project on Molokai has moved one step closer to reality after an agreement was reached between Maui Electric and Molokai New Energy Partners, a division of Chicago-based renewable energy company Half Moon Ventures. The 2.7-megawatt project would supply 41 percent of the island’s electricity usage. It consists of 37 acres of solar panels on industrial land near Maui Electric’s Pala`au Power Plant and a three megawatt battery energy storage system. If all goes as planned, the project is anticipated to in service by the end of 2019, and would operate under a 22-year contract.…

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Community Ownership of Renewable Energy

Friday, February 9th, 2018

Sust`aina ble Molokai News Release

Sust `aina ble Molokai invites the Molokai community to join the Tentou Network for a day of transformative discussion on Molokai’s readiness for community ownership of renewable energy projects  on Feb. 19 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Kulana `Oiwi Halau.

The Tentou network consists of nonprofit organizations from four continents and the Pacific Islands, working in close cooperation with our communities. The founding members of the network are the Samsø Energy Academy in Denmark; the Institute for Sustainable Energy Policies in Japan; the Islands Institute in Maine, USA; the Coalition for Community Energy in Victoria, Australia; and Sust`aina ble Molokai in Hawaii, USA.…

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Halawa Park Construction to Begin

Thursday, February 1st, 2018

County of Maui News Release

Construction is scheduled to begin at Halawa Park in East Molokai, on Monday, Feb. 5, for abandonment of existing cesspool and installation of new individual wastewater system. Work is anticipated to be completed in March.

Park users are asked to please avoid the construction area and equipment to ensure public safety.  Tom’s Backhoe and Excavation Co., Inc., has been contracted to perform the work.  CDF Engineering LLC is the design consultant.

Due to the culturally sensitive location and history of the site, archaeological monitoring will be conducted for all ground disturbing activities.  Additionally, the Park’s District is coordinating with local interested parties who want to be involved with observing construction.…

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Women’s March Encourages Voting

Thursday, January 25th, 2018

Women’s March Encourages Voting

 

About 150 residents took to Kaunakakai’s main street last Saturday to join in the international Women’s March movement, marking one year since the march first took place around the world in 2017 following President Trump’s inauguration. Gathering at the library and marching to the ball park, participants held signs supporting causes like equality, environmental protection, women’s rights and making references to the recent false missile alert.

“Our mission was to get the young women aware of our movement and to get them to the polls, and not just once a year but all the local voting,” said one of the Molokai organizers, Christi Feeter.…

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Implementing the Community Plan

Wednesday, January 10th, 2018

 

The Molokai Community Plan Update process is in its final stretch, and a talk story session will be held tonight, Wednesday, Jan. 10, with councilmembers to discuss implementation of the plan. Kelly King, who chairs the Maui County Council’s Planning Committee, and Molokai’s Stacy Crivello will receive community input at the Mitchell Pauole Center from 5 to 9 p.m. in a continuing effort to wrap up the plan update.

This is the fourth in a series of informal gatherings to hear from community members. The Maui County Council has until the end of June to adopt a revised plan.

“Though it has been challenging reviewing the many details and important issues in the plan, it is also gratifying to hear the voices of Molokai residents,” said King.…

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Review of Community Plan Today

Tuesday, September 26th, 2017

County Councilmember Kelly T. King News Release

The Maui County Council’s Planning Committee will hold its Sept. 26 meeting on Molokai to continue review of the Molokai Community Plan and receive community input, Committee Chair Kelly King announced. The meeting will begin at 4 p.m. at the Mitchell Pauole Community Center.

The Maui County Code requires community plans be updated every 10 years, as practicable, and include input from State and County agencies as well as the general public. The current Molokai Community Plan was adopted in 2001.

“Community input is of the utmost importance when it comes to developing the plan”, said King.…

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Molokai Ranch for Sale

Monday, September 11th, 2017

Molokai Ranch for Sale

1/3 of the island listed for $260M

Thirty-five percent of Molokai — 55,575 acres — owned by Molokai Ranch, is up for sale for $260 million. The property went on the market Thursday, Sept. 7, and includes more than 300 parcels on the island — making it one of the top five privately owned properties in the state. The decision to sell by Singapore-based land holder owner GL Limited comes almost a decade after the company shut down its Maunaloa lodge, theater, golf course and other operations in 2008.

Scott Carvill of Carvill Sotheby’s International Realty, the broker listing the property, said GL is looking for a legacy buyer rather than a developer.…

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100% Renewable Energy for Molokai by 2020

Friday, April 7th, 2017

100% Renewable Energy for Molokai by 2020

Hawaiian Electric Companies has rolled out a statewide plan that sets a goal for Molokai of 100 percent renewable energy by 2020. Over the next three years, the electric utility is proposing 1.4 megawatts (MW) of additional photovoltaic energy to be added to the island’s existing 2.3 MW of energy coming from rooftop solar panels, as well as 5 MW of wind energy. The plan also calls for a transition to biofuel for “some” of the island’s 12 MW of energy currently being generated from diesel fuel.

“Molokai will serve as a blueprint to increase the cost-effective use of renewables for the remainder of the state and help us obtain real–world experience in running an island grid with 100 percent renewable energy,” states the report, filed with the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) last December and recently presented at the fourth annual Maui Energy Conference.…

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