Hawaiian Electric Haleakalā Resiliency Project
Pacific Consulting Services, Inc. (PCSI) is inviting individuals and organizations to participate in the preparation of a Cultural Impact Assessment (CIA) and
Ka Pa'akai Analysis (KPA) being prepared for this project
The Project
The Hawaiian Electric Company, Inc. (“Hawaiian Electric”) is proposing to implement the
Haleakalā Resiliency Project (“Project”). The purpose of the proposed Project is to improve
the resilience of Hawaiian Electric’s transmission and distribution facilities in the upper
elevations of Haleakalā by making them less vulnerable to the harsh weather conditions.
Project goals include reducing outages for customers on the circuit. Another purpose is to
reduce the potential for harmful interactions between the facilities and protected endemic
seabirds that nest on Haleakalā.
Invitation to Participate
An Environmental Assessment (EA) is being prepared for the Project in compliance with Hawai'i Revised Statutes (HRS) Chapter 343. The EA will include a Cultural Impact Assessment (CIA) that identifies cultural resources, practices, and beliefs in the project area and potential impacts that may result from the Project. In addition, a Ka Pa'akai Analysis (KPA) will be prepared for the Project. The KPA will include the information developed as part of the CIA, as well as the identification of measures for mitigating potential cultural impacts that could result.
As part of the CIA process, PCSI is inviting persons or organizations to participate by sharing their cultural knowledge concerning Haleakalā. If you are interested in participating in the CIA, please notify us by email using the link below, and let us know the best way to contact you.
Additional Information
The EA will inform members of the Board of Land and Natural Resources when they make a decision regarding the Conservation District Use Permit (CDUP) that must be issued prior to Project implementation. In accordance with HRS Chapter 343, the Project is an “applicant action” initially requiring an EA because it (a) involves the use of state-owned land and land classified as a conservation district by the state land use commission; (b) requires a discretionary approval, the CDUP; and (c) does not appear to be considered an exempt class of action.
The figure on the left illustrates the approximate geographic extent of the Project. Most of the Project occurs on state land and a small portion is within Haleakalā National Park. Existing facilities consist of roughly 2.7 linear miles of power lines on wood poles above an elevation of roughly 9,200 feet. The lines are identified as segments on the figure; the numbered segments are 4 kilovolts (kV) and the alphanumeric segments 23 kV.
Several alternative designs are being considered. The preferred design would consist of replacing the existing, taller wood poles with above-ground conduits, similar to those illustrated in the photo on the right. Other alternatives being considered are on-ground cable boxes, overhead lines on wood or steel poles, and underground conduit.
Alignment alternatives include using the existing alignment, the
preferred alternative, or moving the alignment adjacent to existing roads.
