Light has dimmed for solar business

Hawaii’s solar industry is proof that regulations can make a difference on how many people have jobs.

Right now there are almost 450 people in the state who just last year used to work for solar companies but now are doing something different because the state Public Utilities Commission in October 2015 altered its incentive programs relating to rooftop solar.

That was a drop of 42 percent, bringing the current total to 611.

This isn’t to say that the rule-fiddling was good or bad, only that public policy rarely, if ever, comes without a cost, however that cost might be calculated.

Got a big idea about public policy? Proceed with caution.

Ready for another hotel in Waikiki?

The empty four-story retail complex on the Ewa end of Waikiki that housed NikeTown could morph into a 230-room hotel, according to a permit application submitted to the city.

Redevelopment of the King Kalakaua Plaza brings promise but bears watching. Under zoning rules, a tower on the site is permitted to rise 300 feet, or possibly higher. It would seem 300 feet is plenty.

The King Kalakaua Plaza was developed for nearly $45 million in 1997 with much hype — NikeTown and Banana Republic and the Official All Star Cafe were among the tenants. But it was a tough sell to draw retail traffic to that end of Kalakaua Avenue.

Perhaps a hotel could fare better.