HomeMy WebLinkAbout2012-08-08 Infrastructure B Meeting Notes
Infrastructure B Subcommittee
Meeting Notes
August 8, 2012 5:00 - 6:50 p.m. St. Augustine's
Participants: Susan Laughlin, Lisa Andrews, Vicki Rowe,
Margaret Wille, and Susan Fischer
New name for the subcommittee was proposed & unanimously accepte
"Power, Viewplanes, & Erosion Control"
RURAL INFRASTRUCTURE
Traffic concerns:
Kynnersley intersection often has traffic backed up.
Hawi intersection has an offset road hazard. Offset mauka & mak
roads are not 150 feet apart as is currently required for safety
Roundabouts were discussed as an alternative to traffic signals
Safety increased with fewer accidents, no "T-bone" fatalities
Landscaping potential in the center, providing a "sense of pl
POWER & VIEWPLANES
Underground transmission lines
Subcommittee members plan to explore prices for underground
transmission line installation, including trenching. An example
extensive trenching dispelling the contention that it is too har
trench in Hawaii: Sandwich Isle's 1,500 mile fiber-optic cable
project to link Hawaiian Home Lands' housing developments
scattered across six major islands.
Kohala Ditch as a power source
The Colorado River was cited as an example of a waterway with
a relatively low drop in elevation, while creating substanti
hydropower.
Questions from the North Kohala District 9 Candidate Forum, Augu
I. Wind Power
"Why can't our wind power resources be used by our ag park?"
(1) the windfarm is under contract to sell only to HELCO
(2) technical reasons beyond the lack of battery storage -
Infrastructure B August 8, 2012 page 2
Wind Power
(continued)
CDP page 83:
"The use of ÇUpolu Wind Farm was considered as back-up power for
North Kohala. However, it was deemed not feasible because of
potentially significant costs and technical hurdles to overcome.
generators at ÇUpolu are of the ÅasynchronousÆ variety and HELCO
system is Åsynchronous.Æ The wind farmÈs output varies with the
speed creating synchronicity problems with the grid. The feed i
HELCOÈs grid during normal operations is possible through a 60 H
Åcarrier currentÆ which requires an external (HELCO) source of p
operate. For the Wind Farm to provide back-up electricity when
is not available, an on-site generator with a capacity equal to
farmÈs output (3-5 MW) would have to run 100% of the time. In t
dollars, an asynchronous back-up generator costs about $1 millio
megawatt, or $3 to $5 million to back up the Wind Farm. The iss
fuel availability, storage and hazmat considerations must be add
Also, winds are unpredictable."
II. Streetlights
"There are 14 huge freeway-style streetlights at the entrance to
or so lots in the Kawaihae Hawaiian Homesteads area. There's no
else comparable all the way down the coast. Even the entrance t
airport has only half that many light standards. Would you be w
work to turn off all but one or two of these unnecessary and jar
and all but one or two of the lights at the mauka entrance to Ko
Ranch and to ensure that this kind of wasteful overkill by eithe
or the County is not repeated in the future?"
CDP Strategy 4.8, page 84:
Goals include Rural Infrastructure Standards to maintain KohalaÈ
character and its natural visual beauty. Specifically, the CDP
"low profile minimal street lighting".
The next Infrastructure B "Power, Viewplanes & Erosion Control"
subcommittee meeting will be held on the second Thursday of the
on September 13th, from 5:00 to 6:15 p.m. at St. Augustine's.