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tranding t1_irawjgi wrote

Reply to comment by JungleBoyJeremy in Tesla Megapacks Arrive In Hawaii, Kicking Coal To The Curb | Tesla's Megapack battery system is stepping in to fulfill the state’s power requirements after the last shipment of coal. by chrisdh79

Possible geothermal energy resources may exist in West Hawaii and on the island of Maui. - source: Hawaiian electric. Hawaii Island purchases 38 MW of power from the Puna Geothermal Venture plant. PGV has permits allowing it to expand another 22 MW in the future at its current location.

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JungleBoyJeremy t1_iraxi6d wrote

So it’s currently still only possible on big island, and MAY be possible on Maui.

It’s definitely not possible on Oahu where these batteries are being set up

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tranding t1_irazfkv wrote

It is possible especially with an interisland cable which has been studied since the 1970s.

What types of renewable energy could an interisland cable deliver? Geothermal Hydropower Solar Wind Bioenergy

Hawaiian Electric Company (HECO) issued a 335-page Request for Proposal for Geothermal/Interisland Transmission Project on May 1, 1989 to install up to 500MW of geothermal energy in Puna and to send the energy to O`ahu.

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One-Inch-Punch t1_irchjp5 wrote

Such a cable would have to traverse some complex seafloor topography and sensitive marine sanctuaries to get here from there. Other renewable projects, like offshore wind on the Penguin Banks, have run afoul of the same complications.

Religion aside, geothermal on an active volcano carries some other risks. PGV was lucky to only lose three wells and a substation in the 2018 eruption.

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JungleBoyJeremy t1_irb0mff wrote

And yet the cable was never built. So once again geothermal has never been an option on Oahu

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