Geothermal Energy Resources in Hawaii‏

Since the Hawaiian Islands sit on what is essentially a hot bed of geothermal activity in the earth's mantle, it seems only natural that the state should want to tap into these resources as far as green energy is concerned. Hawaii has been volcanically active for quite some time - some 70 million years, and as the main Island of Hawaii has had some recent activity, it is an obvious source for electricity via geothermal resources. The Kapoho Geothermal Reservoir was discovered in 1976, and its geothermal heat reserves are estimated at over 200 megawatts.

Geothermal energy is considered one of the better natural resources for energy, even above that of wind and solar powers. This is because geothermal sources are constant, whereas there are days when the sun hides behind the clouds or the wind ceases to blow. Hawaii's steady source of energy is that of its volcanoes, from which the heat continuously flows up and outward to the Earth's surface. Temperatures sometimes get so high that lava erupts from volcanoes, but more often magma remains below the Earth's surface, heating the surrounding rock and water reserves, and these collections become resources of geothermal energy that can be tapped and generated into electricity.

Currently, Hawaii supports the use of this reservoir for only the "Big Island" of Hawaii, though the energy resources present have the potential for use in a much greater area. Right now the Puna Geothermal Venture supplies a quarter of the energy consumed on the Big Island. Puna's 30-megawatt plant saved the island from burning about 475,000 barrels of fuel oil last year, as well as saving monetary resources - $13 million total. Puna also pats itself on the back for reducing the risk of oil spills, since less oil needs to be shipped from Oahu. The University of Hawaii's School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology is part of the resources that bring technical means to the management of Hawaii's natural geothermal resources.

Historically, the first geothermal well in Hawaii which produced steam was drilled in the same Puna district on the Big Island. It was named the Hawaii Geothermal Project. The resource was one of the hottest in the world, and sunk 6,140 feet into the earth. By 1981, an electrical plant had been built on the site of 2.5 megawatts, and it used this well to produce electricity that was channeled into the Hawaii Electric Light Company for use on the Island. The plant is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, and state and county governments. The original design was only for a two year working term, but it stayed operational until 1989. Afterward the Puna Geothermal Venture developed a new 25-megawatt geothermal plant in the Kapoho area of the Big Island (which they did with the help of OESI Power Corporation, and Constellation Power Incorporated). The new plant was the first commercial geothermal effort in the state, and its electricity production began in 1993, and it received and upgrade to 30 megawatts in 1996.

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