MECO construction of needed substation south of Ohukai vs. bluerock
10/25/17 #kihei
A day after our entire area (and the island) experienced an electric power failure which lasted from seven to seventeen hours, we do not dismiss the need for updating infrastructure to support that system. Granted an additional substation in north Kihei would have had no effect on that storm-induced massive blackout, but there are many reasons for failures.
So we see a potential positive action this morning to help facilitate a little stronger electric system for our area, so long as it is conducted in a positive manner.
What is next, now that the fence is up (SEE https://gokihei.org/environment/meco-fence-going-up-just-after-years-of-the-sarofim-mall-fence-finally-came-down)? MECO has contracted with Goodfellow Brothers for construction, and a crew will begin blasting blue rock next week and it’s expected to go on for three weeks, and to be very loud and earth shaking.
MECO advised on 10/24/17 that the substation is needed to handle the additional load from Kealani and Kenolio Apartments subdivisions. And it will make power more stable in South Maui.
They will be running a line under Pi’Ilani Highway and then underground about 1000’ mauka of the Highway, then five power poles will carry the lines above ground up to the substation building, which will be similar to the one at Welakahao. The reason for going above ground at that point is economic – blasting through blue rock costs about two and a half times the cost of installing poles, per MECO.
They plan to have the project up and running by June 2018.
Anybody else outraged about the idea of more, new, above ground poles? No new poles! Put these new lines under ground. This is Kihei’s gateway…Tell MECO South Maui does not want above ground power poles!
Mahalo, Tina. Going back six years ago SEE https://gokihei.org/news/meco-talks-70-power-poles-on-dec-13-in-kihei KCA successfully championed the effort to stop construction of seventy foot power towers along Pi’ilani Hwy makai. We seem to hear that above ground poles & towers are less expensive than underground INITIALLY.but if you factor underground are not subject to all manner of weather (like lightening strikes that shut down the whole island last month), vehicle strikes and all manner of downed lines in long term, how much is “saved”?
Then how much are view plains worth?
Unfortunately, when this project was proposed, there were many community concerns that were addressed, but we do not think the poles were mentioned