Victory for community input on future energy projects

by Lauren Ballesteros-Watanabe, Chapter Organizer | Reading time: 4.5 minutes

The Public Utilities Commission (PUC) made an important advancement in deepening public engagement in renewable energy planning!

Back in 2018, the Commission first opened the Integrated Grid Planning (IGP)  docket to investigate this critical process in meeting our renewable energy goals. The IGP process is a compilation of coordinated, long-term planning efforts, executed by Hawaiian Electric and involving stakeholder and public engagement. The objective of IGP efforts is to chart Hawaiian Electric's course to meet the state mandate to be 100% renewable energy reliant by 2045, ensure a reliable and resilient grid, and provide affordable electricity to its members. Since there is only a 21 day window to formally intervene in a docket, one of the biggest problems for the public to speak directly to siting and land use issues is that the chance to formally do so is “closed.”

Existing interested parties on the IGP docket have been involved to ensure more equity and justice in renewable energy planning. Dedicated intervenor and environmental justice advocate, Life of the Land (LOL), LOL argues that the 2023 Final Report prefers siting future energy resources in rural areas, which contradicts the ongoing Energy Equity and Justice Docket. The Consumer Advocate brought up cost issues and also recommended innovative forms of energy planning such as reverse auctioning.

What does this mean for energy justice?

On March 7th, the PUC issued an order in the Integrated Grid Planning docket regarding Hawaiian Electric’s (HECO) IGP 2023 Final Report. In the order the PUC commits to opening a new docket on IGP and renewable energy zones efforts so the public can be heard. The PUC states that this is especially important because the IGP report is a fundamental space in energy planning and addressing inequities in renewable energy siting and project development!

HECO’s report is an overview of their efforts in planning, grid hardening goals against extreme weather, meeting growing energy demands, and cutting carbon emissions by 70% in seven years. The most critical aspect is that the PUC states they consider the report as more of a guide than a prescriptive plan and “therefore accepts it, so as not to confuse acceptance with prior approval of the programs, projects, and proceedings that will follow from this report.”

This distinction can give advocates and community some peace of mind, since there are still ongoing concerns with lack of adequate voice on energy planning decision-making. HECO’s report shares their public engagement process- a comment period on initial drafts, stakeholder councils that include technical advisory, and a dedicated website to collect public comments on renewable energy zones, however it is vital that the implementation is open to further comment. If you are curious to know all of what HECO is planning, the PUC does a great job of further summarizing the 100+ page report in their order, check it out!

Moving forward, becoming engaged.

The PUC stated HECO’s report is meant to help in “establishing parameters for collaboration” and continue to incorporate concerns from communities. This is where you come in. Recently, the Hawaiʻi Supreme Court issued several opinions to the effect that intervenors are allowed to raise issues that pose a reasonable threat on their interests. These issues can involve public trust resources, Native Hawaiian traditional and customary rights, and the constitutional right to a clean and healthful environment. It may sound intimidating and unfamiliar but it is an advocacy terrain that we need to hope help folks engage in the way we do at the legislature. 

The PUC is taking strides to be more transparent and accessible through the Energy Equity docket, staff is finding ways to improve meaningful community engagement. Energy planning is critical because, like policy, the outcomes of docket hearings affect all of us. For example, regulated utilities are required to file applications whenever they propose a rate increase to cover their expenditures. They must prove to the PUC and the Consumer Advocate, that these costs are justified. The Public Utilities Commission can also initiate proceedings on its own to investigate various matters. Most recently, there has been legislative pressure for the PUC to investigate the cause of the Lāhainā wildfires.

The PUC is listening and working on new pathways for the public to participate meaningful in energy decision-making. We look forward to future action alerts to help you do so!