Hawaiian Electric company announced a major deal today to turn Big Island crops into liquid fuel.
HECO signed a 20-year contract with Aina Koa Pono to develop a new processing facility and energy farm in Ka'u.
Plants such as Christmas berry and eucalyptus would be grown on the farm, put thru the processing plant, then turned into useable energy - such as biofuel, electricity and gasoline.
"Basically allows us to put this up against fluctuating oil costs and be able to maintain stability in Hawaii in energy prices," says Robbie Alm, HECO Executive Vice President.
The Ka'u energy farm processing plant will create 300 construction jobs, and more than a hundred permanent positions.
It is expected to be fully operational by 2013 and produce about 16 million gallons of biofuel a year-- which would completely fuel the Big Island's Keahole power plant.
