Off the News: Switching on Puna Geothermal

Mother Nature — or the goddess Pele, if you prefer — is back to helping mere mortals, not alarming them with lava, as was the case two years ago. Geothermal power is back on line on Hawaii island, slowly but surely, with Puna Geothermal Ventures delivering 1 to 2 megawatts to the electric grid; by mid-2021, PGV aims to return to full capacity with 38 MW.

In May 2018, lava from Kilauea Volcano started overrunning communities in lower Puna, causing dramatic evacuations and destroying up to 700 homes. Several PGV wells, transmission lines and other equipment were destroyed, but much of the facility was spared.