Kaena Point windmill plan prompts fears
Some Hawaii residents are arguing against a proposed floating wind farm off Kaena Point, saying it could hurt wildlife and affect surfing prospects.
Jens Peterson, the project’s Danish developer, said the farm could create up to 100 jobs for 10 years and help Hawaii reach its goal of 100 percent renewable energy by 2045, reported Hawaii News Now. The proposal calls for building 51 floating turbines secured by anchors and electrical cables.
But the windmills could become “bird blenders” and have an impact on swells prized by surfers, said Robert Justice, a member of the North Shore Neighborhood Board.
“It will directly affect Pipeline, Jocko’s, all the good west swell breaks,” Justice said Wednesday. “We just had a world champ, John John (Florence), come out of the North Shore. It’s a breeding ground for good surfers. And everyone in the world comes to visit us, and to even chance destroying that, it’s just beyond words to me.”
Peterson said the project’s scope is unprecedented and “phenomenally complicated.”
“It is very, very difficult to do,” Peterson told the news station. At minimum, he said, the proposal is “10 times more complex than any other project ever tried anywhere on Earth.”
It’s unlikely that the turbines will be visible from land, according to Peterson.
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management will decide whether the location is suitable.
9 responses to “Kaena Point windmill plan prompts fears”
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Jeez, is Hawaii ever going to join the 21st century? This proposed project could be located 500 miles off shore and North Shore whiners would still come up some unrealistic silly reason why it shouldn’t be built. More solar and wind to get rid of combustion generated energy…..get on board!
The Spanish tried them extensively and are not as happy as advocates claim?
Schofield: Hawaii was a much more sustainable and much abundant island in the 20th Century than it is now so go figure (And more beautiful with less “Windmills” lining our mountain ranges). Money, money, money, development, development as has become the mantra has not done the islands for the better.
Terrible idea ! Use more solar on rooftop homes and use wave energy that is based underwater currents. DO NOT PUT THOSE THINGS ON THE OCEAN !
Leave it to humans to screw up every possible thing on earth.
It is of interest that wind development on Molokai and Lanai went way due to strong community opposition. The opposition to wind energy off of Kaena is also strong for many many reasons both environmental and cultural … and aesthetic. The big problem here is that the Feds/ BOEM have started the ball rolling with the call and the bidding process will impose a 5 year EIS study . So where and when can/do they pull the plug on this poorly conceived project? It gets harder after millions have been invested years from now and our political watchdogs have been “massaged”.
Wind mill are bad news for birds and think about the endangered birds living in the “safe zone” at the point. Bad idea to build out there.
A bird crashed into the window of my house the other day and died. Is someone going to tell me to tear down my house because my house was responsible for the death of a bird? Yes, birds die from windmills. They also die from oil spills and pollution which windmills will certainly reduce the chance of occurring.
Bwahahahahahaaa. Tear down your house to save birds? Buffoon city here we are! If you weren’t aware, there is this other proven, reliable and cost-effective technology that also prevents oil spills and does not endanger wildlife. Drumroll…. it’s called SOLAR!!!!! We have a much stronger sun resource here than wind… and it’s more consistent. There is no reason to put these bird killing ugly contraptions out in our beautiful waters. Keep them in a sensible place like Europe where it’s cold and dark. We don’t want them here.