A letter to the editor published in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser on December 16, 2025, from a Big Island resident, highlights the anxieties surrounding the Honua Ola Bioenergy plant and its potential impact on the local community. The author, a 73-year-old resident living near the plant, expressed concerns about the open windows and the resultant exposure to emissions from the facility, raising questions about the environmental trade-offs inherent in renewable energy projects.
This personal account provides a crucial perspective on the potential implications of the Honua Ola plant's operations. The project, which involves converting a former sugar mill into a biomass power plant, has faced a complex legal and regulatory journey. A recent Big Island Now article highlights a 2025 lawsuit filed by Honua Ola against Hawaiian Electric, alleging anti-competitive practices that have hindered the plant's operation [bigislandnow.com]. This ongoing legal battle, coupled with the resident's concerns, underlines the challenges involved in transitioning to renewable energy, especially when such projects directly impact local communities and their quality of life.
The letter writer’s experience brings to the forefront the considerations of environmental justice. While the state of Hawaii is committed to achieving 100% renewable energy by 2045, as reported by Honua Ola Bioenergy's website [honuaolabioenergy.com], the practical implementation of this vision involves difficult compromises. Biomass, despite being classified as a renewable energy source, still leads to emissions that can affect air quality and public health. This requires careful consideration of the long-term project impacts, particularly when these are balanced against the health of those living in immediate proximity. Furthermore, the complexities of assessing emissions, the nature of feedstocks, and their impacts on local biomes, as well as the plant's impacts on the power grid, need to be carefully assessed.
The situation also has implications for entrepreneurs and investors in Hawaii's renewable energy sector. The Honua Ola project’s challenges reflect a broader need for environmental regulatory certainty and thorough community engagement. Moreover, assessing a project's real environmental impact goes beyond simply classifying it as 'renewable'. The balancing act between the drive to reduce reliance on fossil fuels and the need to protect the well-being of local communities will likely remain a central theme in Hawaii's energy future.
