‘Aina Le‘a Suit Dismissed: The state has prevailed in the efforts of DW ‘Aina Le‘a, LLC, to claim $200 million in damages as a result of the Land Use Commission’s reversion of land it once owned from the Urban land use … Continued
Can a Solar Farm Coexist with Cattle Pens? Renewable Energy Company Will Investigate A renewable energy developer pursuing a project on lands leased by the state’s central slaughterhouse received a right-of-entry permit from the Board of Land and Natural Resources … Continued
High Court Upholds Board Permit For Na Pua Makani Wind Farm After years of strife, the feud over the Na Pua Makani wind farm’s habitat conservation plan and incidental take permit is finally over. In May 2018, the state Board … Continued
Hu Honua Rebuffed: The on-again, off-again dispute over the Hu Honua power plant just north of Hilo is now on again. This comes after Hu Honua itself sought to postpone – possibly for months – the scheduled start of a … Continued
Hu Honua Update: Proceedings before the Public Utilities Commission in the case involving the Hu Honua power plant, being built just north of Hilo, are gaining steam. In September, parties in the case filed prehearing testimonies. The state Consumer Advocate, Tawhiri … Continued
Hu Honua Re-Remand: The Hawaiʻi Supreme Court has tossed back to the Public Utilities Commission – for a second time – a decision in the case of the Big Island biomass power plant. The first court case, resolved in 2019, … Continued
In April 2017, the state Commission on Water Resource Management voted to adopt the terms of a mediated agreement intended to end the years-long conflicts over the diversion and waste of stream water via the Kokeʻe and Kekaha ditch systems … Continued
The Hawai‘i Supreme Court has issued a ruling that makes clear what it thinks of the Public Utilities Commission’s effort to push the companies it regulates to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. And that is: Not much. In a decision issued … Continued
Last month, Environment Hawai‘i reported on a new draft bat guidance document aimed at helping the state Endangered Species Recovery Committee (ESRC) make decisions regarding the Habitat Conservation Plans and Incidental Take Licenses that are required for wind farms to incidentally harm … Continued
Several million dollars have been spent over the past few years on research, habitat restoration, and land acquisition to mitigate the unexpectedly high number of endangered Hawaiian hoary bats being killed by wind farms across the state. Last month at … Continued