I introduced legislation relating to energy to the legislature, HB 1257, and I did it as an individual. Although I polled the Geothermal Working Group members for their thoughts, this legislation was not endorsed or submitted by the group. The Geothermal Working Group was not formed to do legislation.

It is true that I am involved in Ku‘oko‘a, the group that is buying HEI. But they do not even know of this legislation. This idea is something that I have been working on for years.

We all know that for the past 20 to 30 years, the world has been using twice as much oil as it has been finding. Reputable agencies such as Lloyds of London, the International Energy Association, the German military and our own Department of Defense are warning that the oil supply is not endless and the era of cheap oil is over. It will have serious economic consequences to us living on islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. We do not have time to waste.

We must transition our electrical base power in a smart way. On the Big Island, we do have proven technology that is friendly to the climate as well as inexpensive.

The essential elements of the legislation are very simple and straightforward. HB 1257 directs the PUC to consider the following criteria when considering an application to supply the utility with electricity: