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 […]

The challenge in 2005 — a luxury high-rise proposed in Kakaako Makai, a 600 acre-area situated on Honolulu’s waterfront between Waikiki and downtown — provoked a strong community reaction. Project opponents had different interests, but they were united in their opposition to what they regarded as a lack of public consultation regarding both the project and the future of the entire Kakaako Makai area.

Hawaiian Electric Company (HECO), long concerned about power transmission reliability on the island of Oahu, proposed the siting of towers supporting 128 kV power lines along Waahila Ridge, which cradles the eastern side of Manoa Valley. This was a very controversial project, both because of its location in Manoa and…

The nonprofit Kaua‘i Planning & Action Alliance (KPAA) was established to serve as a catalyst and foster collaboration among government agencies, nonprofits, and community groups on major challenges facing the island.  KPAA’s first assignment was to develop indicators and benchmarks to measure progress on issues that were included in the Kauai General Plan 2000.