Plans for a large scale wind farm on Lanai involved multiple collaborative processes over several years and included consideration of a package of community benefits for Lanai residents impacted by the project.

Negotiations for the community benefits portion of the power purchase agreement were led by Robbie Alm, whose strategy is featured here.  The process on Lanai differs from that described on this website in significant ways:

1. Hawaiian Electric was not the project proponent and, therefore, had a very different position in terms of controlling/coordinating the discussion.
2. Because there were multiple processes over multiple years, “closure” of the type described in the strategy was not possible.
3. In this case, Robbie had to work with multiple community groups (as opposed to a single group) and their priorities were sometimes contradictory.
4. Because there was no formal community vote/consensus on the benefits, the package of benefits is vulnerable to a charge that it does not accurately represent the community’s views.
5. There remains a very vocal group advocating “No wind farm under any circumstances.”

Follow this link to a story that appeared in the Star-Advertiser, January 8, 2011, outlining an agreement between Castle & Cooke and HECO for power generated by a proposed wind farm on Lanai.

Related links

National Public Radio Story (2/1/11)