The recent Star-Advertiser editorial was a welcome confirmation of what I have long believed (“Biomass project deserves chance,” Our View, July 9). I was one of the original supporters of commercially grown eucalyptus as a way to diversify our agricultural production.

During my time as governor, the demise of sugar as a viable crop was well under way. Agriculture-based rural economies and the lifestyle I grew up with on Hawaii island’s Hamakua Coast were slipping away. These developments prompted elected officials and agricultural experts to look for ways to replace sugar with other crops.

Many efforts were undertaken, including expanding ornamental flower cultivation and promoting papaya and other tropical fruit crops, as well as expanding Hawaii’s tremendous potential for agricultural research. One of the initiatives I was involved with was the development of a forestry industry.

Eucalyptus tree cultivation was considered an option with considerable promise, since eucalyptus had proven successful as a plantation crop in other states and countries. The eucalyptus tree has been used for everything from paper production to ornamental wood products and as a veneer in plywood. I was intrigued by its potential as an export, as well as its use locally as a biofuel.

For these reasons, I supported an initiative to plant eucalyptus on former sugar plantation lands in the Hamakua area. Since then, some 30,000 acres has been devoted to growing these trees commercially. Most of the trees harvested have been exported, although the scale of the operation has not been as great as first anticipated. But that could soon change dramatically.

If the state Public Utilities Commission (PUC) approves the power purchase agreement (PPA) between HELCO and Hu Honua Bioenergy, the biomass plant could begin operations in just 18 months. And the goals we set more than 20 years ago for eucalyptus as a cash crop could finally be realized.

Then, we were primarily concerned with maintaining our agricultural sector. After I left office, other policy concerns emerged, thanks to the growing awareness of the impact of fossil fuels on our environment and the need for self-sustainable energy sources.

In 2009, because of the extreme volatility of oil prices and the nearly total dependence of the state’s utilities on oil to power our electric grids, electric bills were skyrocketing. The Legislature responded by passing a bill to simultaneously support two state policy goals: expand renewable energy production and strengthen our agricultural sector.

Until Hu Honua, no project has been proposed that could achieve both goals. Moreover, despite the subsequent dramatic increase in the percentage of our power derived from renewable sources, one piece of the puzzle has been largely missing: firm renewable power available around the clock, regardless of weather or time of day. Using locally grown eucalyptus as feedstock, Hu Honua can provide the same continuous power as fossil fuel plants and do so in a sustainable way.

If the PUC approves the PPA between Hu Honua and HELCO, I believe the forestry industry can finally fulfill its latent potential. The demand for biomass fuel at Hu Honua’s plant, just down the road from the eucalyptus plantations, will revitalize agriculture on the Hamakua Coast.

I understand that around 70 good-paying jobs will be created in planting, growing and harvesting eucalyptus, with another 20 involved in transporting logs from the fields to the plant in Pepeekeo. In addition, operating and maintaining the plant will create another 30 skilled technical jobs.

Besides moving us closer to our renewable energy goals as a state and boosting the East Hawaii economy by creating a skilled workforce, the revitalization of agriculture along the coast will enable the restoration of the rural lifestyle and the quality of life it supports. This should make Hu Honua a welcome addition to an area that needs a reason for hope after enduring hard times for so long.

John D. Waihee III served as the fourth governor of Hawaii from 1986 to 1994. He was born in Honokaa on the Hamakua Coast of Hawaii island.