Hawaii’s PUC denies biofuel proposal saying costs too high

In Hawaii, the Public Utilities Commission has rejected a proposal from Aina Koa Pono to build a biofuel project on the Big Island for a second time, claiming that the price the developer was looking for was too expensive and wouldn’t be cost effective for rate payers whose electricity costs would go up by using the fuel from the proposed project. The PUC said the project was too expensive back in 2011 but even though Aina Koa Pono reduced the price by $125 million, the PUC gave the same response.