On August 11, 2021, HFIA Vice President Dr. Guy Cellier led HFIA Directors, staff and partners on a field trip to the Honua Ola Bioenergy plant in Pepeʻekeo. Prior to arriving at the plant, the group met in Hāmākua at a eucalyptus plantation located next to Brandon Lee’s Berkshire pig farm. Guy barbecued some delicious home-made sausage and Dr. J.B. Friday brought some sauerkraut and fixings to go with. Brandon gave all the attendees some Berkshire porkchops to take home. Everyone agreed the porkchops were delicious. After Brandon showed the group his Berkshire pig farm, we headed over to Honua Ola (See photos of the field trip below).
Honua Ola will replace imported fossil fuel with local, renewable resources to produce energy. “Honua Ola” in Hawaiian means “living earth” and represents their commitment to:
* Creating sustainable green energy;
* Supporting local agriculture;
* Working to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels; and
* Stimulating our local economy.
Once operational, Honua Ola’s plant in Pepeʻekeo will use state-of-the-art technology to make available 21.5 megawatts of firm, renewable power fueled by organic material grown on-island. Responsibly managed forests, including the replanting of trees, will offset the carbon emissions of the power production process.
Leaders in Hawaiʻi and globally have made commitments to aggressive sustainability goals, many of them centered around renewable energy. The State of Hawaiʻi mandates 100% renewable energy in the electric sector by the year 2045. The United Nations recently created sustainable development goals by 2030, and Honua Ola positively impacts several of those goals. Implementing the changes we need to make falls to individuals, to communities, and to projects like Honua Ola.
HFIA August 11, 2021 Field Trip
J.B. Friday
Above: Hāmākua eucalyptus plantation barbeque. Guy Cellier cooks his sausage on the barbie.
J.B. Friday
Above: Brandon Lee’s Berkshire pigs.
Above: Honua Ola Plant. Photos: J.B. Friday
