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Environment

News stories regarding Molokai’s outdoor environment

Proposal for Ranch Purchase

Friday, April 13th, 2018

A company called Lamplighter Energy has proposed the purchase Molokai Ranch to grow and export hibiscus to South Korea. Lamplighter CEO Andre De Rosa said wood pellets from the hibiscus is a renewable substitute to burning coal, and his energy company has the investors and contract with an organization in Korea to sell the product.

Molokai Ranch, owned by Singapore-based land holder owner GL Limited, went up for sale last September at a price of $260 million, and its 55,575 acres represents one third of Molokai.

De Rosa sat down with a small handful of residents last month, filmed by Akaku, and shared his plans, which he says he has been doing on a one-on-one basis with the community.…

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Proposed Forest Reserve Rules

Thursday, April 5th, 2018

DLNR News Release

In light of evolving natural resource concerns and the needs of managers and people, the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW) is proposing updates to rules regulating activities within Hawaii’s Forest Reserve System.  DOFAW is now inviting input and comments. 

The Forest Reserve System consists of 55 reserves across the state covering approximately 678,000 acres.  Regulations for the system were first established in 1943 and the last comprehensive update was in 1993. Proposed changes and updates will allow DLNR to streamline and clarify existing rules, improve enforceability, and update allowed uses and activities based on conditions currently facing the forests and their users.…

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Mokulele Selected to Serve Kalaupapa

Thursday, March 29th, 2018

Mokulele Airlines has been selected to fly into Kalaupapa under the federal Essential Air Service program without subsidized funding, despite concerns from the community. The airline has not yet finalized its flight schedule or pricing for its service to the isolated settlement, which will begin June 1.

The federal Department of Transportation (DOT) announced their decision on March 16, and Mokulele representatives met with Kalaupapa residents the following week to discuss their needs.

“I would say there’s a guarded optimism that Mokulele will serve the community and meet our needs, but there’re still concerns,” said Department of Health Kalaupapa Adminstrator Kenneth Seamon.…

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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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Controlled Fire Planned for Kalama`ula

Wednesday, February 14th, 2018

MFD News Release

Maui County Fire Department (MFD) staff will have a controlled fire in Kalama`ula, Molokai, between Feb. 19 and 23. This controlled, or prescribed, fire is done to satisfy national requirements to be certified as a Type 3 Incident Management Team, provide live fire training to fire personnel, and remove hazardous levels of overgrown plant material.

The MFD and Department of Public Works, in consult with the Hawaii Department of Health, Maui Police Department, and the Department of Hawaiian Homelands, will be working together in a multi-agency effort to conduct this exercise.

The live fire training will be conducted between 7:30 a.m.…

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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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Students Work to Reduce Energy Usage

Friday, February 9th, 2018

Molokai LIVE News Release

Last month, a group of Molokai Middle School students were trained by Maui Electric staff on the Smart Power for Schools Program. This exciting new program, started by Maui Electric in 2015, allows students to view energy usage in real time at Molokai Middle School and other public schools across the state. Students can look at the peak times that their school uses energy during the day and compare the energy usage with other schools. Using the Power Scope Meter, they are able to determine when power spikes occur to develop energy conservation practices.

The Molokai Middle School students who received this training are Divine Brown, Barbara Simon, Leah Lavoie-Vega, Kathleen Alvarez, Thalia Meyer, Reina Kahue-Cabanting, Owen Svetin, and Isaiah Hanchett-Lopez.…

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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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Practice Ocean Safety

Friday, February 9th, 2018

Practice Ocean Safety

This winter has brought “unprecedented” ocean fatalities on Maui, according to the Maui Fire Department. Though there have been no close calls reported on Molokai so far this season, officials are warning those entering the water to use caution, as winter swells bring strong current and high surf.

“In the last few weeks, Maui has experienced an unprecedented spike in ocean drowning incidents,” said Fire Services Chief Edward Taomoto. The month of January brought what he called an unfortunate “string of fatal drownings,” with the latest Feb. 3 drowning of a visitor from Alaska off Wailea marking the 10th ocean related death in Maui County in 2018, he said.…

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