Column: True community-based energy on Molokai

As you may know by now, Hawaiian Electric, as required by the state Public Utilities Commission (PUC), is planning to seek proposals for its “Phase 2” Community Based Renewable Energy (CBRE) project on Molokai in early 2021. The timing of the CBRE request for proposal is an opportunity for Molokai to formalize its own grassroots cooperative and compete for a project that will reduce our reliance on diesel-generated electricity, improve grid resiliency, and bring support and relief to our overburdened ratepayers.

Molokai community members have joined together to create Molokai Renewable Energy Cooperative (MREC) and are preparing to submit the co-op’s first project, a 2.75 megawatt solar-plus-battery project, which could meet the electric needs of 1,000 households. Our group of community members have been working toward energy independence on Molokai for several years leading up to this project.

A few weeks ago, Hawaiian Electric announced that its own “self-build team” would be bidding for the Molokai project, and its community outreach and meetings are already underway. According to HEI, on Molokai, the “self-build team” would be developed, constructed and owned by the utility.

At this point, the choice of project awardee will be determined by Hawaiian Electric’s RFP (request for proposal) team, which means that Hawaiian Electric itself will be the one deciding whether to award the contract to its own company or to another bidder, such as our community-based cooperative. It seems that no matter how objective the RFP team tries to be, it is a fundamentally unfair competition.

The PUC is currently allowing the self-build team to bid on this project under very strict rules requiring that the team is “firewalled” from the Hawaiian Electric RFP team that will be evaluating the bids. However, the self-build team has been caught multiple times in the past month breaking the rules of this firewall and its conduct is currently under review by the PUC.

We urge our community, supporters and lawmakers to call upon the PUC for fairness: to restrict the self-build team from directly applying and competing for community-based renewable energy on Molokai. Comments can be submitted to: puc.hawaii.gov/contact/public-comments/, referencing docket 2015-0389.

Our emerging community-based cooperative is working diligently with experienced and established energy developers who support the intent and mission of a grassroots Molokai energy cooperative. We are continuing our application process and will be selecting our development partner in the coming week.

As MREC continues to formalize its cooperative, outreach and planning efforts, Molokai residents are invited to join our volunteer working group to help realize our vision in which “100% of Molokai’s electricity needs are met through renewable energy sources that are affordable, sustainable, culturally compatible, and environmentally friendly.”

Todd Yamashita is board president and Lori Buchanan is board vice president of MREC (Molokai Renewable Energy Cooperative). Co-signatories on this piece are Christopher O’Brien, MREC board treasurer, and Makena Fernandez, MREC board member.