Puna Geothermal Venture to hold community meeting in Pāhoa on Big Island

Puna Geothermal Venture will host its first community meeting in 2023 on Jan. 31 at 4 p.m. at the Pāhoa Neighborhood Facility, 15-2906 Pāhoa Village Road in Pāhoa.

It the first of the utility’s four public meetings, with others to be held in April, July and October.

Puna Geothermal Venture will provide updates on the plant status and answer questions from the public. Representatives of Hawaiian Electric and the County of Hawaiʻi also plan to participate and provide updates.

Puna Geothermal Venture, a subsidiary of Ormat Technologies, a world leader in geothermal energy, currently generates 23 megawatts (MW) of energy for Hawaiʻi Island.

“We are currently working on a new well to increase our generating capacity,” said Michael Kaleikini, Ormat’s senior director, Hawaiʻi Affairs.

Puna Geothermal Venture is a geothermal energy conversion plant that brings steam and hot liquid up through underground wells.  The hot liquid (brine) is not used for electricity at this time. The steam is directed to a turbine generator that produces electricity.

The exhaust steam from this turbine is used to vaporize (heat) an organic working fluid, which drives a second turbine, generating additional electricity. The condensed steam from the organic fluid heat exchanger is re-injected into the ground through reinjection wells along with the brine.

For those who are unable to attend in person, the meeting will be recorded and posted on the PVG website. The public can submit questions in advance at https://punageothermalproject.com/public-meetings/.

Residents who have questions or concerns can also call 808-369-9094.

Puna Geothermal Venture has been producing electricity from geothermal resources since 1993. Prior to the 2018 eruption, it was providing more than 38 megawatts of power.

PGV was acquired by Ormat Technologies in 2004 with its U.S. operations based in Reno, Nev.