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A plan to burn locally grown trees on Kauai to generate electricity was dealt a setback Friday when the Hawaiian Homes Commission rejected a proposal to lease 2,134 acres of Hawaiian homelands to the developer of the renewable-energy project.
The 5-3 vote came after two days of public meetings on the project in which 80 percent of testimony opposed granting a lease to Green Energy Team LLC, according to a news release from the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands.
Green Energy Team sought a 20-year lease for the DHHL parcel in Anahola that would be cleared of invasive albizia trees and used to establish a tree plantation. The albizia and cultivated trees were to be used as fuel for Green Energy’s $90 million biomass-to-energy facility under construction near Koloa.
In addition to clearing the land and paying lease rent to DHHL, Green Energy agreed to a community benefits package that included setting aside acreage for subsistence agriculture and creating a community picnic area near Kaneha Reservoir.
The rejection of the lease means Green Energy will have to find another source of trees for the project, said Eric Knutzen, the developer’s co-founder.
"We saw the proposal of clearing invasive albizia to create homestead agricultural subsistence and pastoral lots in Anahola over both the short and long term as a win-win," Knutzen said in an email. "We respect that the commission’s decision and thank all for their time in sharing their manao."
Jobie Masagatani, chairwoman of the Hawaiian Homes Commission and DHHL director, was one of the commissioners who voted against granting the lease.
"While there were merits to the project, there were also a number of concerns that remained unresolved. I am encouraged that several in the Anahola community wanted a chance to be a part of the ultimate goal of getting these lands ready for homesteading," Masagatani said in a prepared statement.
"They want a chance to have their voices heard. We look forward to working closely with the people of Anahola to explore ideas on the future use of these lands."
The Green Energy Team project is one of the top renewable-energy projects touted on the state Energy Office’s website. When finished in 2014, it will have a capacity of 6.7 megawatts and be able to supply power to 8,500 households, according to the site.
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