Economic Justice from HELCO " Time for Pono"

by Gloria
(Kea'au, HI. USA)

Please read and sign the petition to stop HELCO easements charges of $15,000 for homeowners and lower the 440 KWH current rate.

Whereas, Hawaiian Electric has failed to provide electricity at a cost comparable in any way to mainland prices and, in fact, has charged the people, businesses, and governments of Hawaii more than four times the U.S. national average price per kilowatt hour; and

Whereas, Hawaiian Electric has made millions in annual profits, and yet has not responsibly invested in alternative energy; in fact Hawaiian Electric has failed to implement sufficient sustainable energy solutions for the County of Hawaii in order to eliminate the need for foreign, imported oil, for now or any time in the foreseeable future; and

Whereas, Hawaiian Electric has failed to maintain facilities and equipment in keeping with current technologies, let alone adopting a stance of technological innovation, even though the State of Hawaii has granted Hawaiian Electric with a State-sanctioned monopoly and freedom from competition; and

Whereas, Hawaiian Electric has the role of providing the power to the customers in Hawaii, the duty to take responsibility for its impact on our state's environmental welfare is implied; and

Whereas, Hawaiian Electric has shown interest in selling the current power plants because of obsolescence, and has indicated an interest in grid control as the company's future primary function, yet at the same time Hawaiian Electric has expressed the need to replace the existing grid for green meter technology and has received permission from the State of Hawaii's Public Utility Commission to charge the customers for this $8 billion improvement, thereby making the ratepayers responsible for the utility's poor management practices; and

Whereas, Hawaiian Electric is actively preventing home owners from installing green power equipment for on site power generation and thereby preventing the expansion of renewable energy resources in the State of Hawaii; and
Whereas, Hawaiian Electric is actively preventing home owners from installing green power,
equipment for on site power generation and thereby preventing the expansion of renewable energy
resources in the State of Hawaii; and

Whereas, Hawaiian Electric charges the County of Hawaii $9.3 million in the Year 2011 and it is likely to increase as their rates are tied to the price of oil; and

Whereas, Hawaiian Electric charges the same rate per KWH of electricity, regardless to the cost of generating this power (by burning oil, by geothermal, by wind, or photovoltaic cells). The same rate per KWH of electricity applies whether the energy is created on the other side of the island, or by another homeowner on the same block; and

Whereas, Hawaiian Electric charges customers a minimum fee for the privilege of connecting to the
grid even when no power is used; and Whereas, Hawaiian Electric's financial practices have made it a poor community partner in the State of Hawaii; the corporation makes absolutely no provision for those living in or close to poverty, especially those in rental housing, to take advantage of cost-saving renewable/alternative energy (solar hot water heaters, photovoltaic panels, or wind generation) to reduce their home energy costs, thereby increasing the likelihood of either foreclosure in the case that they own property, or eviction in the case that they rent property. Therefore, we find that Hawaiian Electric is a significant contributor to the island's poverty and homelessness problems in that their practices have a direct relationship to the foreclosure rate of homes in the County of Hawaii, and consequently to the burden placed on all taxpayers in the State and County to support the people disenfranchised by these rapacious financial practices; and

Whereas, the County of Hawaii is the likely agent to provide assistance to those persons harmed by Hawaiian Electric's greed and failure to provide cost-effective energy solutions, especially to the County's poor, Hawaiian Electric provides profits to its stakeholders at the peril of the island's poor, and at the expense of the County of Hawaii and its taxpayers who provide essential services when they are needed; and

Whereas, Hawaiian Electric's outdated practices have made life in the community more difficult – despite its millions in annual profits, Hawaiian Electric has not had the common decency to implement a credit card payment / pay by phone system that most small businesses commonly provide to their customers; and

Whereas, we the people of the County of Hawaii who are connected to the grid have no choice in the power sources we rely on; and

Whereas, Hawaiian Electric states it cannot handle the energy fluctuations on its grid created by sources of alternative/renewable energy such as photovoltaic and wind generation; and
Whereas, Hawaiian Electric states they must do an expensive individual connection study in order to know if they can handle any additional renewable/intermittent energy connections to the Grid by its consumers and ratepayers, and requires homeowners pay as much as $15,000 for this study to determine if they are eligible for grid-connected solar electric at their property; and

Whereas, Hawaiian Electric may have generated 107% of its anticipated net profits according to a Hawaii Council member; and

Whereas, Hawaii County has been hearing the same plans and empty promises for technological improvements, renewable energy generation, and positive change from Hawaiian Electric for15 years, with little progress (per councilman Hoffman); and

Whereas, the choices made by Hawaiian Electric actively obstruct the County of Hawaii in implementing the recommendations contained in its ANALYSIS AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE HAWAI‘I COUNTY ENERGY SUSTAINABILITY PLAN dated October 3, 2007, because the choice of power generation capability is up to the owner of grid, Hawaiian Electric; and

Whereas, it is obvious to the people of the County of Hawaii that Hawaiian Electric intends to take advantage of the community and government regulations to place its corporation, executives, and shareholders in a position of minimum risk, maximum profit, at the community's expense by controlling the grid and determining the sources of electric energy generation, without producing any energy; and

Whereas, sunlight, wind, and waves are abundantly available in Hawaii, and constitute free sources of energy belonging to the community as a whole, as such these resources should not be sold off as a private resource for the profit of a privileged few (the executives and shareholders of Hawaiian Electric and its subsidiaries), but rather, these resources should be used at minimal expense for maximum public benefit; and

Whereas, the County of Hawaii has the power of Prescription: The servient estate may reclaim the easements used for the Grid with actual, open, hostile and continuous use of the easement; and

Whereas, the County of Hawaii has the power of Condemnation whereby the government exercises eminent domain used by Hawaiian Electric generation facilities and electric grid, or these land parcels are officially condemned; and

Whereas, the County of Hawaii has the power of Necessity, whereas the easements created by necessity may be terminated when the necessity no longer exists, and Hawaiian Electric has publicly stated its desire to be rid of the generation facilities and believes its existing grid is outdated and in need of extensive publicly funded improvements; and

Whereas, there are many more egregious and legitimate reasons that do not appear on this list.

Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That we the People of the County of Hawaii stand united and resolved to have a democratic management of our power generation and distribution facilities throughout our island that are respectful of the land, traditions, and natural resources available in various locations, which is done for the public benefit and enrichment rather than the profit of a corporation, its investors, or shareholders at the expense of our community, our energy consumers, and State and County taxpayers. We, therefore, request the County of Hawaii enjoin with the public at large, to use the powers granted to it as a Municipality in the State of Hawaii to remove Hawaiian Electric as owner and operator of a monopoly that endangers the welfare of the community as a whole for the benefit of a very few. We request the same assistance in terminating the easements through which Hawaiian Electric has constructed its electric grid. We request the same assistance in making the necessary regulatory changes in the state's Public Utilities Commission to allow for a community-owned nonprofit cooperative (owned by the customers supplied by its electricity), or a nonprofit municipal power generation and transmission company managed by a nonprofit board elected by the residents of Hawaii County.

Mahalo Nui Loa

Petition site: right click and copy to go to orginal site
https://www.change.org/petitions/revoke-helco-s-utility-easements?utm_medium=facebook&utm_source=share_petition&utm_term=friend_inviter_modal