Here are three big things we have not done.
First, we have not yet built the rail system. Almost every week, Mayor Peter Carlisle announces that we are "a-fixing" to build it, but so far, not yet.
No. 2 on the "to do" list is fixing those leaky sewers we promised the federal government we would fix. We are also supposed to clean up the sewage going in the ocean. Piecemeal is the best description of how that is going.
No. 3 is an undersea cable to bring some sort of unspecified power to Oahu. Be it geothermal, wind or wave energy, Oahu wants it now.
I know it is under water, but the cable project bears watching the most.
Gov. Neil Abercrombie, who never met a metaphor he couldn’t use, envisions the cable lassoing our island chain together.
In his State of the State speech, Abercrombie recommended: "An undersea cable that can connect our island grids to provide stable, reliable electricity between islands. This integrated grid will provide stable energy prices and equalize rates between the islands, which will benefit all of us."
How this deal is done is both surprisingly complicated and surprisingly slow.
Abercrombie is again offering up legislation that will smooth the way for private developers to construct the power generation and transfer system.
Abercrombie continues to move away from the energy plan he offered during his campaign. At that time, he said a new state energy department would handle all energy needs.
Now the responsibility is falling more on the Public Utilities Commission.
In his speech, Abercrombie said, "One of my primary energy initiatives will be to provide the Public Utilities Commission with the explicit authority to develop, adopt and monitor electricity reliability standards.
"This will include jurisdiction over how independent power producers connect to the grid."
Hawaiian Electric Co. now reports that new technology means that building the cable is feasible. Back when first announced in 2010 under Gov. Linda Lingle, the discussion over technology was much more abstract; now there are specific, existing, successful programs from the North Sea to the Philippines.
Last year the Legislature stalled over a bill to allow the electric company to move ahead.
That bill would let the PUC control the interisland power cable network, presumably to control costs for customers while making sure the system worked.
Also, HECO says the developer would bear the financial risk of building the cable, not Hawaii electricity customers. A developer would not begin to be paid until the cable is complete and carrying power to customers.
Meanwhile the company is moving ahead.
"Hawaiian Electric’s upcoming request for proposals for 200 MW of renewable energy on Oahu or from off Oahu may include an interisland cable network as part of proposals by developers. This RFP is being managed by Hawaiian Electric with supervision and monitoring by the Public Utilities Commission," according to a HECO spokesman.
Every day the Molokai and Lanai wind projects become more controversial.
If the NIMBY protests on Molokai over a relatively benign cruise ship docking in the harbor is enough to cause a month of make-nice meetings and a Coast Guard show of force, one can only imagine Molokai’s reaction to barges bringing huge windmill parts to Kaunakakai.
In the end it may take either Seal Team Six or the United Nations to bring a cable to Oahu.
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Richard Borreca writes on politics on Sundays, Tuesdays and Fridays. Reach him at rborreca@staradvertiser.com.
