• Engery self-sufficiency for Kaua‘i Engery self-sufficiency for Kaua‘i Weaning Kaua‘i off its almost total dependence on oil for generating electricity is a worthwhile goal. For decades the Island had a sizeable percentage of its electricity produced through the burning
• Engery self-sufficiency for Kaua‘i
Engery self-sufficiency for Kaua‘i
Weaning Kaua‘i off its almost total dependence on oil for generating electricity is a worthwhile goal. For decades the Island had a sizeable percentage of its electricity produced through the burning of bagasse the fibrous waster produced when sugar cane is ground to extract sugar. The bagasse was burned, heated water creating steam that turned turbines.
The process was beautiful in its simplicity, and effective. Tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of drums of oil-based fuel were saved over the years; the process provided jobs for plantation workers; and Kaua‘i a leader in Hawai‘i in energy self-sufficiency.
A new proposal from Mayor Bryan Baptiste might provide a new way to create electricity without oil-based fuels, and potentially turn our mountains of garbage problems into a source of locally-generated energy.
One concept for the project would be to burn existing trash that’s piled high at the county’s Kekaha landfill.
However, it is a long ways from requesting proposals for such systems to implementing them.
Getting a trash-to-energy system working is going to require a major investment, and long-term planning that needs to be done well.
Down sides to the project need to be explored, too. Will the burning of trash create clouds of emissions floating across the Island? Will the project provide new jobs for Kaua‘i workers, or will trained technicians need to be imported?
There is a strong argument to be made of the potential future risk of oil prices skyrocketing from their already high levels. China is becoming more and more of an oil-consuming nation as its economy continues to modernized. Our oil comes in great part from the North Slope of Alaska and from Indonesia, an oil-exporting nation that might one day find a better market in China for more of its oil exports.
And while our economy is churning along at a rapid pace, with prosperity seemingly around every corner, world events could bring a quick curtain to these times. Being able to generate our own electricity in times of national emergency could make all the difference in keeping life somewhat normal even if Middle East oil shipments were curtailed, undermining our national oil supply and economy.
If we were able to burn sugar cane we could keep going indefinitely in supplying a good portion of our existing electrical supply.
Hopefully this plan will work and move ahead in the near future. We need it for our future and to provide a buffer if our normal supplies of oil-based fuels withers.
