"Every member of the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission, which regulates Hawaii Electric, has financial or previous professional ties to the company." This is quite scandalous, given the PUC did not push Hawaii Electric to implement what would have cost $6.2 million to mitigate the "significant" risk of the utility system igniting wildfires.
The NYT is busy reporting that the stock price of Hawaii Electric is tanking, but so far the newspaper has not investigated the PUC-Hawaii Electric financial ties, the lobbyist-paid trips to NY, or that the utility spend nearly twice the amount of money lobbying state officials than it did to mitigate wildfires.
And John Podesta, from the White House, citing climate change as the cause. My question. Is green energy so safe that it will not spark on transmission lines? Or will Bidenomics (my autocorrect just entered Biden comics) assure a green future, either an individual solar panel or wind turbine for each US resident? Will that become a basic human right?
I believe the future they have in mind for us involves no natural gas, petroleum, or firewood. Magic solar panels (which *ahem* use lots of expensive inputs) will be the only way and will not cover the demand. The demand (and the users) will be destroyed in a slow death strangle. While companies like HEC and PG&E continue to avoid doing basic maintenance and brush clearing, all while dishing out dividends and bonuses.
All green energy has its downside. Recent reports show that solar panels cannot take unlimited heat from the sun, and that the manufacturing of the panels in China causes high levels of toxic pollution. Wind turbines cannot run 24/7. Green energy in the form of electric power grids have to be controlled by gas powered turbines.. . People have to live less greedily. Have to respect nature cause she has the last say. But man's hubris will always taken him down to hell of his own making.
Hundreds of Billions for Ukraine - what have our own citizens dealing with this catastrophe in Hawaii received? Table scraps and “no comment” from our senile corporatist President.
Lee wrote the perfect beginning and followed it with FACTS while including a nod and a wink on a few non-qualitative actions not performed by Hawaii Electric.
The revolving door of regulator to regulated public utility and back or to a lobbying firm is alive and well in all 50 states of the USA. It’s decades old behavior. Don’t try the hopeless corruption at FERC, life time appointments, commissioners doing what is good for their own benefit and NOT the public good. This reporting is terrific and Lee Fang deserves huge credit; the story is worse, much worse. Lee Fang could devote a year to the matter and barely scratch the surface. In the meantime these self important clowns at the utilities in the “leadership” positions make enormous salary and bonus’ and are never held to account. Innocent people have been killed repeatedly, and it’s “nothing to see here folks”. One ought realize that the current “system” running the grid’s nationwide, was more or less put into place by Thomas Edison more than 100 years ago. But ask any 2 year old child where the power for the lights comes from and they like 330 plus million Americans will direct you to a switch on the wall. You get what you pay for and we are no where near what they intend to make us pay to restring the grid and find base load generation. One would think a devastating tragedy like the one last week in Maui would snap a few heads. We will see. Murphy was an optimist...
"Revolving door" This a microcosm of the failure of our elected officials and the people that are supposed to protect us from harm. Gain of function, our border, schools, health care, and so on. We are on our own now until "We the People" start standing up and holding people accountable. We all need to do a small part in our communities to right the ship.
Another great piece of work, Lee! Sad how we answer (and serve) to an open market of corrupt policies. Policies cloaked as serving the public’s best interest, but in reality only serve those who design and maintain the facade. A facade that is only spotlighted as it crumbles due to hundreds, if not thousands, of innocent lives are lost and countless others permanently damaged. From foreign wars to domestic disasters, the cycle continues.
My thoughts and prayers are with all of the Hawaiian people struggling with their losses.
Lee Fang's reporting always has the teeth of a force to be reckoned with - a tiger with fangs. If he's got his teeth into the truth, the guilty parties ain't gettin' away with murder no more.
Lee's reporting is what all investigative journalism should aspire to be. His articles are concise, well written, and well researched. Bravo sir!
Nice work, Lee!
"Every member of the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission, which regulates Hawaii Electric, has financial or previous professional ties to the company." This is quite scandalous, given the PUC did not push Hawaii Electric to implement what would have cost $6.2 million to mitigate the "significant" risk of the utility system igniting wildfires.
The NYT is busy reporting that the stock price of Hawaii Electric is tanking, but so far the newspaper has not investigated the PUC-Hawaii Electric financial ties, the lobbyist-paid trips to NY, or that the utility spend nearly twice the amount of money lobbying state officials than it did to mitigate wildfires.
Keep up the excellent reporting, Lee!
Thanks, Safir
"Climate change" is the dog that ate the homework.
And John Podesta, from the White House, citing climate change as the cause. My question. Is green energy so safe that it will not spark on transmission lines? Or will Bidenomics (my autocorrect just entered Biden comics) assure a green future, either an individual solar panel or wind turbine for each US resident? Will that become a basic human right?
I believe the future they have in mind for us involves no natural gas, petroleum, or firewood. Magic solar panels (which *ahem* use lots of expensive inputs) will be the only way and will not cover the demand. The demand (and the users) will be destroyed in a slow death strangle. While companies like HEC and PG&E continue to avoid doing basic maintenance and brush clearing, all while dishing out dividends and bonuses.
And we will own nothing, eat bugs, and be happy. Thank God I'm old (74). Won't live to see most of the bad s**t to come.
...and you'll be offered a comfortable long nap when health care is nationalized.
When I read “dishing” my mind immediately turned to our new dishwasher, which takes three times longer to clean less than half as well.
All green energy has its downside. Recent reports show that solar panels cannot take unlimited heat from the sun, and that the manufacturing of the panels in China causes high levels of toxic pollution. Wind turbines cannot run 24/7. Green energy in the form of electric power grids have to be controlled by gas powered turbines.. . People have to live less greedily. Have to respect nature cause she has the last say. But man's hubris will always taken him down to hell of his own making.
Example of foolish irresponsible hubris:
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2023/08/titan-submersible-implosion-warnings
Yeah, and "the role of invasive grass species that are more prone to wildfires"...
Añd the finger-pointing begins....
Hundreds of Billions for Ukraine - what have our own citizens dealing with this catastrophe in Hawaii received? Table scraps and “no comment” from our senile corporatist President.
What have they received? $700 per household and a big FU from the government.
Lee wrote the perfect beginning and followed it with FACTS while including a nod and a wink on a few non-qualitative actions not performed by Hawaii Electric.
Excellent investigative journalism!
Wow, this looks like a colossal clusterf-k. As someone who grew up in Hawaii, I find it heartbreakingly sad but not totally surprising
Crony capitalism. Not on steroids, just the usual stuff.
To wit: “Tinder under our lines? “.
Hawaii Electric: We’ll get to it one of these years.
Hawaii PUC “OK!”
Hawaii Electric “Great! Now meet us in NY; we’ll pay the airfare”.
Hawaii PUC: Sounds like fun! See you in the Big Apple!
The revolving door of regulator to regulated public utility and back or to a lobbying firm is alive and well in all 50 states of the USA. It’s decades old behavior. Don’t try the hopeless corruption at FERC, life time appointments, commissioners doing what is good for their own benefit and NOT the public good. This reporting is terrific and Lee Fang deserves huge credit; the story is worse, much worse. Lee Fang could devote a year to the matter and barely scratch the surface. In the meantime these self important clowns at the utilities in the “leadership” positions make enormous salary and bonus’ and are never held to account. Innocent people have been killed repeatedly, and it’s “nothing to see here folks”. One ought realize that the current “system” running the grid’s nationwide, was more or less put into place by Thomas Edison more than 100 years ago. But ask any 2 year old child where the power for the lights comes from and they like 330 plus million Americans will direct you to a switch on the wall. You get what you pay for and we are no where near what they intend to make us pay to restring the grid and find base load generation. One would think a devastating tragedy like the one last week in Maui would snap a few heads. We will see. Murphy was an optimist...
"Revolving door" This a microcosm of the failure of our elected officials and the people that are supposed to protect us from harm. Gain of function, our border, schools, health care, and so on. We are on our own now until "We the People" start standing up and holding people accountable. We all need to do a small part in our communities to right the ship.
Great work Lee
Sadly, the fires in Maui remind me of the fires in Sonoma County a few years ago. Greed and neglect go hand in hand. 😔
Another great piece of work, Lee! Sad how we answer (and serve) to an open market of corrupt policies. Policies cloaked as serving the public’s best interest, but in reality only serve those who design and maintain the facade. A facade that is only spotlighted as it crumbles due to hundreds, if not thousands, of innocent lives are lost and countless others permanently damaged. From foreign wars to domestic disasters, the cycle continues.
My thoughts and prayers are with all of the Hawaiian people struggling with their losses.
Time for JAILS !!!
And -- time for Lee’s Pulitzer prize but if course corrupt “elites” are “offended” with his reporting.
Variation on a theme. Countless times.
Mr. Fang, your Substack is by far and away the best money I've spent on this platform - rock on!
!!
Lee Fang's reporting always has the teeth of a force to be reckoned with - a tiger with fangs. If he's got his teeth into the truth, the guilty parties ain't gettin' away with murder no more.
Note that JP Morgan Chase (JPM) was Downgraded by Fitch. Well, OK, it’s Fitch but it’s still a signal that ESG is taking companies down.
This article is organized concise and brings home the point.
Are heading over there to get in their faces?