Community Outreach Plan

Building community support for Waikoloa Solar and educating the public about Waikoloa Solar’s design and technology is a critical path item to the development of the Waikoloa Solar project. Community outreach is critical for ensuring all interest groups have a forum to provide input and voice concerns with the Project. Clearway will engage with key stakeholders early and often during Project development, the permit approval process and through construction of the project to understand and address the community’s concerns with the project.

There are a number of communities and stakeholders that may be interested in the Project and may have concerns.

Community Outreach Objectives:

  • Build understanding and support from the community for Clearway’s work in Hawai`i to date.
  • Identify, build and maintain network of community stakeholders to advocate for completion of renewable energy projects.
  • Receive regulatory approvals to complete projects.
  • Continue to act as a credible, innovative, and financially strong partner to help Hawai`i achieve its RPS goal by 2045.

Stage One – Upon Bid Submission and Prior to Final Award (November 2019 – May 2020)

Since bid submission in November and prior to Final Award in May, Clearway reached out to key area legislators such as Representative David Tarnas to discuss the project and scope input on which community associations and groups we should familiarize ourselves with and prepare to engage with. During this time we also prepared and launched the project website for the project and developed a more detailed community outreach plan as presented here.

Stage Two – Upon Final Award by Hawaiian Electric (May – June 2020)

NOTE ON COVID-19: In order to respond to the current COVID-19 pandemic, and assuming that quarantines and restrictions may still be in place in Hawaii, Clearway plans to schedule community meetings by teleconference, webinar (Zoom) and share documents electronically via our website in advance of virtual meetings.  Zoom allows for an unlimited number of participants and for community members to ‘raise their hand’ in a moderated platform which will allow community members to express their comments as well as record these sessions for sharing later.  Virtual community meetings will allow for live engagement and interaction between the

Proposer and community participants while protecting health and safety of the community. As soon as safe and allowed under State and County mandates, Clearway will conduct in-person neighborhood and community meetings that meet policies for group gatherings.

Upon Final Award by Hawaiian Electric (expected May 8th) Clearway plans to launch the project website by May 31st. In May and June 2020 informal outreach will commence including introductory meetings and presentations to local stakeholders as identified below.

Community Associations, Councils, Committees and Organizations:

  • Puako Community Association
  • Kolea Community Association
  • Waikoloa Village Association
  • Waikoloa Community Leadership Council
  •  Waikoloa Village Association Firewise Committee
  •  Friends of the Library – Waikoloa Region
  •  South Kohala Community Development Plan Action Committee
  •  Seniors of Waikoloa
  •  Waikoloa Land Company
  •  Waikoloa Water Company
  •  Waikoloa Dry Forest Initiative
  •  Waikoloa Board of Directors
  •  Hawaii Wildfire Management Organization (HWMO)

Government Agencies

  • US Army Corps of Engineers
  • Department of Water Supply
  • Hawaii Fire Department (HFD)
  • Hawaii Police Department (HPD)
  • Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW)
  • Hawaii County Civil Defense

Nearby Hotels/Resorts/Clubs:

  • Waikoloa Village Golf Club
  • Paniolo Greens
  • Waikoloa Resort
  • Paniolo Gardens
  • Makana Kai at Wehilani
  • The Aeolian Residence

Other Stakeholders:

  • Adjacent Landowners (Honolulu County, Federal)
  • Historical and Cultural stakeholders
  • Waikoloa school district (Elementary and Middle School)

Elected officials to build political support for the project.

  • Representative David Tarnas
  • Hawaii County Council Member Tim Richards
  • Senator Lorraine Inouye
  • Representative Nicole Lowen

These initial community meetings will be held to gather public input and advise local groups in advance about the more formal process of community outreach that will commence in the Stage 3 of the Community Outreach Plan. These meetings will be voluntary public information sessions outside any formal permitting or PUC approval process and would occur early in project development, prior to applying for County Plan approval. The intent will be to get the word out via these introductory meetings and via more informal platforms such as the NextDoor application so that community is aware of and prepared to engage in the more formal process that will commence in Stage 3.

Stage Three – Prior to Execution of PPA (June – September 2020)

NOTE ON COVID-19: In order to respond to the current COVID-19 pandemic, and assuming that quarantines and restrictions may still be in place in Hawaii, Clearway plans to schedule community meetings by teleconference, webinar (Zoom) and share documents electronically via our website in advance of virtual meetings.  Zoom allows for an unlimited number of participants and for community members to ‘raise their hand’ in a moderated platform which will allow community members to express their comments as well as record these sessions for sharing later.  Virtual community meetings will allow for live engagement and interaction between the

Proposer and community participants while protecting health and safety of the community. As soon as safe and allowed under State and County mandates, Clearway will conduct in-person neighborhood and community meetings that meet policies for group gatherings.

After informational meetings have been held as part of Stage 2 described above, Clearway will then hold a formal Town Hall meeting specific to the project to address community concerns. Media advisories will be sent out to the community in late June/ early July for the meeting to be held in late July/ early August. Media advisories will be issued to the following media and organizations a minimum of 30 days prior to a public meeting:

  • Hawaii Tribune Herald
  • West Hawaii Today
  • Civil Beat
  • Hawaii News Now
  • KHON2 News
  • KITV4 News

Additionally, advertisements will be placed in area community publications such as West Hawaii Today, Big Island Now, and Hawaii News Now.  Additionally, media advisories will go out to all the organizations contacted as part of Stage One and Two of the Community Outreach Plan.

Meeting venues being scoped for this Town Hall meeting include:

  • Waikoloa Village Association Meeting Room
  • Waikoloa School Cafeteria

At the Town Hall meeting all relevant project details will be shared via a presentation and via boards hung up around the room in an Open House format. Community members will have a chance to voice their questions and concerns in the meeting.

Additionally, attendees will be advised that they have the next 30 days to submit any other formal comments via the project-specific email address prior to the Power Purchase Agreement being submitted to the Public Utilities Commission for approval.  Those comments along with their responses will be copied verbatim and included in the PUC application for approval of the Power Purchase Agreement with Hawaiian Electric. All confidential contact information will be redacted and community stakeholders information will be protected.

Stage Four – Post-PUC Application through Start of Construction (October 2020 – December 2022)

Clearway will continue to inform neighboring communities and stakeholders through all phases of the project,

which shall include the County permitting process, design process and start of construction as well as updates on when construction is expected to be complete and the project is due to come online.

Community Concerns

Clearway successfully conducted extensive community outreach on its projects in Oahu and will undertake a similar effort with the Waikoloa Solar Project. Key issues which Waikoloa Solar anticipates discussing with the community:

  • Traffic
  • Dust/ High Winds
  • Wildfire
  • Visual
  • Biological/ Species

Community Benefits

The purpose of the proposed project is to generate electrical energy from solar resources, thereby providing clean, renewable energy for the State of Hawai`i. Specifically, this will help to meet the State’s established regulatory requirements and initiatives for 100% renewable energy, as well as diversify the Hawaii’s power supply and contribute to the State’s energy independence and security, mitigating potential volatility in the fossil fuel supply. Production of solar-generated energy would replace a portion of the State’s electricity that is currently generated by burning fossil fuels, thus reducing greenhouse gas emissions and other forms of pollution that are detrimental to the environment and human health.  The proposed project will also provide economic benefits to the State and the local community, as it would save Hawai`ian residents on their electric bills as demonstrated by Residential Bill Impact Assessments. Furthermore, power generated by the project is sold under a long-term, fixed-price contract and, as such, the proposed project will also provide long-term price stability for energy production.

[comprehensive economic analysis to be performed upon award of the project in May to update these figures]

  • Contribute to Hawaii’s clean energy future, producing nopollution or greenhouse gas emissions
  • Provide enough clean energy to power over X homes
  • Contribute to Hawaii’s energy independence by offsetting X barrels of fossil fuel per year
  • Will increase Hawaiian Electric’s renewable portfolio progress by X percentage points towards 100% renewables by 2045
  • Avoid X metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions each year (X M metric tons over 20 years), equivalent to taking X cars off the road for a year (or X cars over 20 years)
  • Energy storage provides resiliency to the grid and allows the projects to continue providing solar energy to the grid after the sun goes down
  • Number of direct jobs and indirect jobs
  • Economic value of jobs created
  • Economic contribution to the State and County in terms of various taxes

Community Benefits Package

  • Plan to work closely with local community outreach firm on a community benefits package that is desirable for the community
  • Clearway has funded an education program in partnership with Kamehameha Schools for local students on Oahu in addition to the existing education program already underway in partnership with Blue Planet Foundation that Clearway would like to explore rolling out to K-8 schools on Hawai’i
  • Exploring placing a dip tank on-site for fire-fighting by helicopter
  • Work with Waikoloa Dry Forest Initiative and utilize their knowledge of local plants for sensitive landscape design.