Geothermal in Hawaii Today

The production of electrical energy from geothermal resources has contributed toward greater energy diversification on the island of Hawaii.

Puna Geothermal Venture (punageothermalventure.com) delivers an average of 25-30 megawatts of firm energy on a continuous basis, supplying approximately 20 percent of the total electricity needs of the Big Island.

Currently, the state's policy supports geothermal energy production on the Big Island exclusively for use on that island.

Reports

Complete list of on-line publications
Current; includes reports on renewables in general, and renewable portfolio standards, which include geothermal.

Feasibility of a Geothermal Direct Use Enterprise Park in Puna, Hawaii (pdf file; 139 kb; 11 pages) - Paper by Andrea Gill, State of Hawaii; and Tyson Toyama, PE, Okahara & Associates (2007).

Assessment of Downhole Heat Exchangers in Existing Wells in Puna District, Hawaii County, Hawaii (pdf file; 579 kb; 12 pages) - Study prepared by the Geo-Heat Center, Klamath Falls, Oregon (2007).

Feasibility Study - Geothermal Direct Use, Kapoho / Pohoiki Area (pdf file; 2,926 kb; 216 pages) - Study prepared by Okahara and Associates for the County of Hawaii, Department of Research and Development (2007).

Assessment of Geothermal Energy Reserves and Costs of Geothermal Resources in Hawaii  (pdf file; 1,379 kb; 89 pages) - Study prepared by GeothermEx (2005).

Options and Questions for Direct Use in Puna, Hawaii (pdf file, 2,989 kb) - Paper presented by A. Gill at the 2005 Annual Meeting of the Geothermal Resources Council (2005).

An Example of Direct Utilization of Geothermal Heat (pdf file, 90 kb) - Poster, 8.5" x 14", prepared by the State of Hawaii Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism in cooperation with the County of Hawaii Department of Research and Development (2005) .

Uses of Geothermal Heat (pdf file, 446 kb) - Poster, 8.5" x 11", showing typical direct (non-electric) uses of geothermal energy at different temperatures (2005).

Prospective Direct Use Enterprises in Kapoho, Hawaii (pdf file, 51 kb) - Paper presented by A. Gill at the 2004 Annual Meeting of the Geothermal Resources Council (2004).

Update of the Statewide Geothermal Resource Assessment of Hawaii (2000).

Development Opportunities for Geothermal Spas in the State of Hawaii (2000).

Historical Background of Geothermal in Hawaii

King David Kalakaua, 1881

In 1881, King David Kalakaua and his Attorney General discussed with Thomas Edison the possibility of using power from Hawaii's volcanoes to produce electricity to light Hawaii's capital, and transmitting this power by submarine cable to the other islands.

HGP-A, 1976-1989

Geothermal exploration in Hawaii began in the 1960s. The first geothermal well in Hawaii that produced steam was drilled in 1976. This well, named HGP-A, is 6,140 feet deep, and is one of the hottest wells in the world. The 3-megawatt generating plant which used steam from this well began producing electricity in 1982. The plant, originally designed as a two-year demonstration project, operated for nearly eight years before it was shut down at the end of 1989. Over that time, the plant produced between 15 and 19 million kilowatt hours of electricity per year. The electricity was sold to the Hawaii Electric Light Company for use by electric customers on the Big Island.

Noi'i O Puna, the Puna Research Center located next to the HGP-A well, provided a test site for direct-use demonstration projects using geothermal heat and other by-products. They included such varied projects as dyeing fabrics, using geothermal hot water for aquaculture, and drying fruits and lumber. Projects were terminated when the HGP-A plant was closed.

Puna Geothermal Venture

Puna Geothermal Venture (PGV), was issued a permit to produce 30 megawatts of geothermal power in the Kapoho section of the Kilauea East Rift Zone (KERZ) in the Puna District of the Big Island. Under a Power Purchase Agreement with Hawaii Electric Light Company, PGV delivers an average of 25-30 megawatts of firm energy on a continuous basis, supplying approximately 20 percent of the total electricity needs of the Big Island. In helping meet the Big Island's growing demand for electrical energy, the company uses modern reinjection technology developed in its Mainland operations to dispose of spent gases and fluids from the generating process. Puna Geothermal Venture's Website: www.punageothermalventure.com (includes plant tour, brochure, diagram).

Scientific Observation Holes

The Hawaii Natural Energy Institute drilled a series of small-diameter scientific observation holes in the KERZ. These observation holes have provided valuable information on the geothermal characteristics of the area for resource management and regulation of geothermal development activities.

Interisland Cable

From 1982 through early 1990, a large-scale 500 megawatt geothermal/interisland submarine cable project was under consideration. About $26 million (Federal and State funding) was expended in studies, design, engineering, fabrication, and testing for the Hawaii Deep Water Cable Project. The design criteria stated that the cable(s) would have to be able to withstand the stresses of at-sea deployment (including stong currents, large waves, and stong winds), the undersea environment (including corrosion and abrasion), and be able to reliably conduct electricity for thirty years. Since the Alenuihaha Channel is nearly 2,000 meters deep, both deployment (laying of the cables) and operating environment posed unique engineering challenges. Over 251 different cable designs were considered. Tests included laboratory and at-sea cable deployment tests.

The cable, while shown to be technically feasible through the research project, did not prove to be economical. Cost proposals for commercial installation of the cable demonstrated that the project could not be supported without significant government subsidies, which were not possible at the time. 

Links

The U.S. Department of Energy's "Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy" website - http://www.eere.energy.gov/ - has information on energy efficiency and renewable energy for homeowners, businesses, kids, teachers, and the general public, as well as links to national laboratories and financial opportunities.