Letter of Support for 2nd Phase of Kaheawa Wind Farm

Sam Lemmo
Dept of Land and Natural Resources
Office of Conservation & Coastal Lands
P.O. Box 621, Honolulu, HI 96809

Dear Mr. Lemmo,

The Kihei Community Association would like to express their support for the Draft EIS for Kaheawa Wind Power II. We at the KCA believe that we need to look towards the future and ensure that our power is generated in a sustainable method and not continue to rely on diesel fuel our electricity. Diesel is a polluting resource and because it is finite, it is unsustainable and will be subject to price increase and volatility. We feel that embracing Kaheawa Wind II is the right decision for Maui, for our environment, and for our economy. The project will reduce our annual consumption of oil by 138,000 barrels and will consequently eliminate millions of pounds of pollutants that are destroying our natural habitats. This project will accomplish this by also reducing our local energy costs to help spur our economy.

We have held a general membership meeting through our organization to discuss this project, and although there was a great deal of support, some concerns were brought to our attention. We would like to ensure that the developers of Kaheawa Wind Power II, through their Habitat Conservation Plan, do everything in their power to mitigate any environmental impacts imposed on the local natural habitat. We are specifically concerned about any disruption to the local ecosystem and any impact on local wildlife in the area. There was further concern from our membership that the power generated from this project, and the derived savings in energy expenditure, would remain on Maui to reduce our local energy costs. Finally, we understand that the Wind Turbines to be erected will be visible from our community, and there is some community apprehension about the visual impact, although in general we feel the overall environmental and economic benefits outweigh any visual impairment.

Thank you for the opportunity to submit testimony.

Jon Miller
President
Kihei Community Association