Proposal seeks fuel boon from blooms

Hawaii might soon be home to one of the world's first commercial microalgae plants.

[Lionel]

More fuel for the train.

[Tama Samoa]

Awesome move, its a start to the right direction for alternative fuel.

Corn and sugar cane and other bio fuel alternatives are just a waste of money time and poluting more of our soil with fetiliser.

Algae, fuel cell wind and wave needs to be the focus and not some hiden agaendas for ag groups.

[Vultures Circling Early]

Things will go much more smoothly without the Sierra Club circling above. The Sierra Club has built and produced absolutely nothing except exorbitant attorney fees to the taxpayers.

The slightest "impact" and the vultures will be there to "save" you all again...for "one-third-plus-costs " of the judgment.

[HawaiianDC]

Just another "Green Cash Crop" Hawaii has to offer...No Ka O'e

[Von in Aiea]

Did they say it will be up and running by this weekend?

[manoamakaainana]

This sounds more than promising, good luck to this initiative, and hope it expands soon!

[gsr]

Interesting. Is my math right? 56 Mgal/year divided by (approx.) 7,000 gal/acre yield = 8,000 acres needed.
I wonder what the production process requires in the way of water, labor, fertilizer etc.

[egg toss]

the liquid algea may also serve as a 'green' alternative to the 'green tea' syrup used by share ice dealers!
i've never been a fan of green tea shave ice (unless it has mochi balls).

so how does this stuff taste?

[Dante Diaz]

The graphic shown in the article is misleading, as it shows the proposed algae farm on land makai of the MECO power plant that is federally owned as the Kealia Pond Sanctuary. The algae producing area would have to be on cane lands adjacent to the MECO facility, or on lands now leased for Monsanto seed corn, also adjacent. A huge flaw in the plan would be trucking everything to the proposed BlueEarth refinery on Pulehu Road, and then trucking biodiesel fuel back to the power plant. Why not process it where it is grown and avoid the transportation? And, is BlueEarth still counting on imported palm oil? But the big question is: Will this result in ratepayers savings on their monthly bills?

[LEGAL immigrant]

I wonder if the Mufimobster and his cronies own stock in this new venture?

No wonder he is so hell-bent on getting steel-on-steel rail! Creating his own 'supply and demand.'

[Waianae Moke]

Jeff Mikulina is jumping into the picture. Better bust out the EIS because the lawyers need a new Benz, Bimmer or Jag inside their 3 car garage.

[malama aina]

awesome to see that hawai'i is gradually taking steps to become more sustainable in our practices, especially considering that over 90% of our energy needs are met by fossil fuels. hope the plans fall into place!

[Slack Key]

Waianae Moke wrote:

Jeff Mikulina is jumping into the picture. Better bust out the EIS because the lawyers need a new Benz, Bimmer or Jag inside their 3 car garage.

Exactly. Like the ole Chinese saying, those who are not doing should not get in the way of those who are doing. The Sierra Club produces litigation and attorney fees...not energy solutions.

WE NEED A FEDERAL LOOPHOLE:

People need to press Abercrombie, Hirono, Akaka and Inouye to support Federal legislation SPECIFICALLY EXEMPTING "Hawaii Green Energy Technologies" from Federal environmental lawsuits.

The Hawaii Legislature and Governor can then draft local laws/rules concerning the project with the stated goal of making Hawaii energy independent.

[Soular Power]

Slacker Key, what are you talking about? The Sierra Club is one big reason Hawaii has progressive energy policies: the only state with a solar requirement for new homes, net energy metering, a binding greenhouse gas cap, etc. Sounds like their once "radical" solutions are just now starting to be mainstream.

[Bobby]

How do they fertilize it?

[Rubba Slippa Man]

It's superb to see great minds working and seeking new technology to improve our quality of life on this earth. I'mua!!!!!!!!!

[Char Siu Bao Girl]

They're doing more progressive work than Mufi and Town.