2016-03-03 Hearing Transcript - Update Puna Pono Alliance et al GAF Claim

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Bringing this home to geothermal, people don’t seem to dismiss what were likely false projections from the late seventies and early eighties that there was potentially 500 megawatts available supposedly based on science. In the 35 years since, there have been numerous test wells dug that turned out not to have enough potential, one failed pilot project, and the PGV plant which for a brief period of time produced 38 megawatts but is permitted to produce up to 60. For the 500 megawatt number to prove true, there would need to be 13 more PGV’s producing at the maximum level that they only achieved briefly. If you want to be scientific, you had to base your facts on data and now that there is a reliable data base, are they adjusting? Not to my knowledge. They are sticking with that 500 megawatt number which was based on speculation. That makes me question science was ever a player in the geothermal equation or is it strictly a clash of cultures—one that dictates where, where nature is to be exploited when reasonably possible and the other that dictates that nature is to be revered and man should maintain harmony. The latter bases their culture on centuries of living on these islands while the other explains itself through false science that alters reality to justify its means. At the beginning of geothermal development, thousands of people protested right by Hawaiians but that energy has largely dissipated, but what is the result? On the obvious level, there has been one huge blowout back in the 1990’s and many smaller ones that affected the health of the immediate community. The plant has mostly produced a steady supply of baseload energy to the grid but at what cost? There are some who have rebranded geothermal energy as Pele’s gift. If that is a gift, then a thief that breaks your window and steals from you—is that considered a gift? Or better yet, break some windows of many people’s homes, finally finds what he wants, even then not all what he anticipated, but enough to go ahead and take that gift. That is a very giving person who looks at that as a gift. In the process of justifying geothermal development, Pele has been marginalized into being synonymous with, with lava when Pele is so much more. Hawaiians have the right to stay true to their beliefs. The history of the last century and a half is a cautionary tale that shows that the culture that grew from these islands is a culture that understands these islands, and ignoring that reality has hurt the Hawaiians the most but everyone who, who loves this place also suffers. HEAUKULANI: Thank you, sir. Palikapu Dedman. DEDMAN: Palikapu Dedman, Pele Defense Fund. I don’t wanna stand here and repeat myself. You folks all know what’s going on. I just want to dialogue with the Planning Director on what you gonna do about the situation. You guys all made a bunch of excuses. Now, how you’re gonna remedy that? Your three minutes with me, dialogue, so everybody can understand where we’re headed. So, what’s your answer on how we gonna deal with this situation? KANUHA: I deal with the situation based on what the Commission’s decision is. How to use the asset fund is—we got, I got nothing to do with that. DEDMAN: I was going with the word, Director. So what do you direct? 11 EXHIBIT E