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Beneficiaries press DHHL on geothermal testing, consultation and use of $20 million drilling funds
Summary
At a DHHL beneficiary meeting on Hawaii Island, residents and applicants questioned whether a pending $20 million drilling allocation and HB1307 could allow exploratory geothermal testing on Hawaiian home lands without prior beneficiary consultation; DHHL staff said no land disposition or testing site is approved and statewide informational briefings and consultations are planned before any testing.
A Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL) staff member told beneficiaries that no land disposition or agreement has been executed for geothermal testing on DHHL lands and that informational briefings and beneficiary consultation are scheduled statewide before any testing or drilling would occur. The staff member said the briefings are intended to precede testing and that dates and venues are being finalized.
Community members at the meeting raised sharp concerns about HB1307 and a proposed $20 million allocation for exploratory geothermal drilling. One resident asked how that funding would fit with stewardship plans and argued that the money should instead be used directly for beneficiaries still on the wait list. The resident also said the likely contractor would be Ormat and questioned using state funds for exploratory wells on Hawaiian home lands while many applicants lack awards.
An applicant presenting a stewardship‑centered proposal rejected geothermal development for their portion of the land, saying "stewardship of ʻāina is not drilling holes in it" and that geothermal would contradict the cultural and conservation aims of their proposal. Applause followed that assertion.
DHHL staff answered that the planning office has identified multiple proposed informational sites across the state (the last list reviewed contained 12 sites), and described statewide consultation scheduled to begin in late May and extend into June. The staff member said those briefings and consultations are being designed to take place before any testing or drilling and emphasized that, at the department level, no specific test site or land disposition for drilling has been authorized.
Speakers also criticized the sequencing of funding and consultation, saying funding sometimes moves forward before beneficiaries are consulted. DHHL staff acknowledged the criticism and reiterated that consultation and public comment will be part of the process for any testing proposal.
What happens next: DHHL will keep the public comment period open (staff announced the comment period length and multiple ways to submit remarks), will post meeting recordings and materials online with applicants’ permission, and will present a report of the meetings and comments to the Hawaiian Homes Commission at the May 18–19 meeting. The department said it will provide further scheduling details for statewide informational briefings and consultations in coming weeks.
