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Thoughts on the NextEra Purchase of HEI
Richard Ha writes: NextEra Energy’s purchase of Hawaiian Electric Industries (HEI), just announced yesterday, will be very good for Hawai‘i. Here’s what we know about NextEra: It’s a publicly traded...
View ArticleKauai Island Utility Co-op Execs To Brief On How They Formed Their Co-Op
Richard Ha writes: We have invited Dennis Esaki, a founder of Kauai Island Utility Cooperative (KIUC), and David Bissell, CEO of KIUC, to speak to us about how one forms a community-based utility....
View ArticleClimbing the Bamboo Pole: Why We Formed a Co-Op Steering Committee
Richard Ha writes: You know the Wayne Gretzky quote about skating to where the puck is going to be, not where it is? It refers, of course, to planning ahead. My Pop’s story about climbing the bamboo...
View ArticleAn Interview & Also a Visit to a Co-op Finance Corporation
Richard Ha writes: Henry Curtis of Ililani Media recently interviewed me about the energy co-op. He asked me, “Why a co-op?” Here’s the interview: Richard Ha owns Hamakua Springs Country Farms, served...
View ArticleMore on the Hawaii Island Energy Cooperative
The Hawaii Island Energy Cooperative formed after the NextEra/HEI merger was announced. Several community grassroots organizations got together and asked the Kauai Island Utility Cooperative (KIUC)...
View ArticleCommunity Listening Sessions: The PUC Wants To Hear
The PUC is going to travel around the state in September holding “community listening sessions.” Here on the Big Island, we want to ask them to consider a co-op model similar to the Kauai Island Energy...
View ArticleCost-Effective For Whom? Responding to NextEra
NextEra would be investor-owned, which means its goal would be to make money for its investors and shareholders. That would be the priority. If it benefits the Hawai‘i ratepayer at all, that would be...
View Article40+ Hawaii Politicians Say Let’s Explore Public Utility for Big Isle
A Civil Beat article lists more than 40 politicians interested in exploring the idea of a utility cooperative or other options, rather than the proposed for-profit NextEra/Hawaiian Electric merger.
View ArticleSee Mina Morita’s Blog Post on NextEra Merger
Mina Morita is former chair of the Hawaii State Public Utilities Commision. At her Energy Dynamics blog, she just wrote the post "Let the Consumer Advocate & PUC Do Their Jobs!" I generally agree...
View ArticleLetter: Why Hawaii Island Energy Co-op Makes Sense
Michelle Galimba had a good letter to the editor in the paper about the HIEC.
View ArticleCivil Beat Article about Richard & Co-op: ‘When People Power Meets Electricity’
Civil Beat just ran an article about Richard and the Hawaii Island Energy Co-op titled 'When People Power Meets Electricity On The Big Island.'
View ArticleWhere Kauai Utility and NextEra Stand
Richard Borreca wrote an editorial for the Honolulu Star-Advertiser's "On Politics" column Sunday. It's called "Compared to NextEra, Kauai's Utility Looks Good." The post Where Kauai Utility and...
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