Update on the statewide geothermal resource assessment of Hawaii

"The Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism (DBEDT) has retained GeothermEx, Inc. (GeothermEx) to provide technical assistance to the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) in the preparation of a county-by-county assessment of areas with geothermal resource potential in the State of Hawaii. DLNR has issued two previous statewide assessments of geothermal resources, in 1984 and 1992. The current report updates the statewide assessment of geothermal resources based on information that has become publicly available since the 1992 assessment. The State of Hawaii has a policy of increasing the use of renewable and alternative energy resources and of decreasing the State’s dependence on imported fossil fuels. The Board of Land and Natural Resources (BLNR) is charged with the responsibility of designating Geothermal Resource Subzones within which geothermal development can take place to help meet the State’s energy objectives. The current report is primarily intended to provide information on the potential for geothermal production, which is one of the considerations that the BLNR must take into account in subzone designations. The report also discusses other planning considerations that have changed since 1992, including the State’s Hawaii Energy Strategy (HES) program, forecasts of demand for electrical generation capacity, the possibility of direct use of geothermal resources, and the environmental impact of geothermal development."Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism, State of Hawai