The Puna Geothermal Venture Project Power for the Island of Hawaii

Abstract

Puna Geothermal Venture (PGV) was conceptually formed in 1980 and proceeded with local community, county and state cooperation to establish and develop a geothermal industry in Hawaii on the Big Island. The decade that followed, produced significant accomplishments in County and State rule making, Business Development and Exploration with commitments toward Geothermal Power Generation for Hawaii Electric Light Company (HELCO). Ormat acquired the PGV interest in 1988 and triggered a Fast Track Development Plan based on employing Ormat proprietary technology. Ormat Energy Converter played a significant role in meeting the most stringent environmental condition, to date, in the geothermal industry. The process and progress made is described in this paper.