Puna Geothermal Venture to Host Public Meeting

Puna residents can get a plant status update and ask questions during a public meeting this week hosted by Puna Geothermal Venture.

The meeting, the first in-person community meeting since the COVID-19 pandemic began, is scheduled for 4 p.m. Wednesday, July 13, at the Pāhoa Neighborhood Center located at 15-2906 Pāhoa Village Road in Pāhoa.

Representatives of Hawaiian Electric and Hawaiʻi County will also participate. PGV regularly hosts quarterly community meetings.

“We are happy to be able to resume live meetings,” Michael Kaleikini, senior director of Hawaiʻi Affairs at Ormat Technologies, said in a press release. PGV is a subsidiary of Ormat. “It will be a welcome return to normalcy to meet with the community in person and receive their feedback.”

PGV currently generates between 25 and 26 megawatts of energy for Hawaiʻi Island.

“We are continuing to ramp up production and are working on a new well,” Kaleikini said in the press release.

PGV was supplying 31% of the Big Island’s electric needs when it was producing 38 MW prior to the 2018 lava flow and eruption of Kīlauea volcano.

For those who are unable to attend in person, the meeting will be recorded and posted on the PGV website. The public can also submit questions in advance by clicking here.

In addition to participating in PGV’s quarterly meetings, residents who have questions or concerns can call 808-369-9094. Weekly project updates are posted on the PGV website.