Public Utilities Commission convenes hearings on undersea cable

The Public Utilities Commission (PUC) held a hearing on Monday in Kalihi, O‘ahu regarding the proposal to construct a 100 mile long interisland transmission system that would connect electric grids on Māui and Oʻahu.

The PUC is investigating whether the undersea interisland cable will provide “cost-competitive renewable energy resources” between Māui and Oʻahu and if the project would be feasible for Hawaiʻi ratepayers.

If the development of the cable were to go through, the PUC will be using a “no regrets strategy,” which would minimize risk, maximize transmission infrastructure and preserve the future of Hawaiʻi’s electrical systems, according to PUC records.

Nearly 80 people showed up at the Oʻahu hearing to learn about the proposal or to testify.

The hearing began with a presentation and an overview the proposed undersea cable by Mark Glick, State Energy Office administrator, whose presentation focused on a number issues saying that the cable will not only reduce fossil fuels, but it would also bring Hawaiʻi past its renewable energy goal of being 40 percent sustainable by the year 2030.

“One grid section is fundamentally different than previous proposals because it benefits both Māui and Oʻahu,” Glick said.

Glick added that the interisland grid would also save Hawaiʻi over $1 billion in fuel costs.

Another overview of the project was presented by Jeff Ono, Executive Director of the state Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, who said that they ran four different scenarios and found that the undersea interisland grid was the best.

“The concept is to operate these two systems in a coordinated fashion,” Ono said.

Ono also acknowledged the publics’ concerns and encouraged the audience to offer other solutions, if they had any.

Testimony from a number of community leaders, including large companies were delivered to the PUC board chaired by Hermina Morita.

Among the testifiers was Castle and Cooke, who testified in favor of the proposal saying that solar and wind is needed in order to achieve Hawaiʻi’s energy goals.

“Any real project that would help achieve (renewable energy goals) for the state should be presumed to be in the public interest,” Castle and Cooke representative Chris Lovvorn said. “Despite all the studies, all the work that’s been done, the question continues to come up - we canʻt just do this solar, we can’t just do this with solar. We’ve got to have wind.”

Lovvorn added that there’s an opportunity for 126 additional megawatts from Māui and that they need Lānaʻi, Māui and Oʻahu in order to reach the state’s 40 percent renewable energy goals.

The company alone, however, in testifying in favor of the proposal. Community members who testified say that the undersea interisland cable is unnecessary.

“What is important is whether there is a net public interest, [and] whether it is good compared to the alternatives,” Henry Curtis of environmental advocacy group Life of the Land said.

The cable is also proposed to run through a national marine humpback whale sanctuary between the two islands.

“The ocean is our last frontier and people here are very, very concerned about what happens to the ocean,” an unidentified testifier said.

Written testimony was also submitted by residents who couldn’t attend the hearings on O’ahu and Māui.

“There is already documented research showing harm to marine life from electromagnetic frequencies emitted by such cables” Māui resident Dr. Richard Andrews wrote in his testimony.

The PUC held two hearings, one on Oahu and the other on Maui. Of the two hearings, more than 60 testified, both in writing and verbally, against the proposal, less than ten testified in favor of the proposal.

If the undersea interisland grid becomes reality, Ono says that there will be an Environmental Impact Statement and more public hearings.