Lanai Community Survey Findings - "Wind Farm" Project
1. Wind Turbine Project on
Lāna i?
Island-Wide Survey Shows Community’s
Thoughts about Wind Turbines on Lāna i
HACBED
Community Voice, Collective Action
2. Community Organizing
For the past 18 months, LSG has spent thousands
of hours working to gather community input by
conducting:
• ‘Ohana, Small Group Discussions
• Community Meetings
• Free Concert
• Focus Groups Discussions, and
• Community Survey
HACBED Community Voice, Collective Action
3. Why all the Work?
LSG wanted to find out:
• What Lāna ians think about important issues;
• What values Lāna ians hold sacred;
• What Lāna ians want for their keiki and kupuna;
• What Lāna ians worry about and aspire to; and
• What Lāna ians know and feel about the proposed &
so-called “wind farm” project
This presentation will share findings from one part
of our community survey relating to the wind
turbine project
HACBED Community Voice, Collective Action
4. About the Project
• Castle & Cooke proposes to build a 200 to 350 MW
“wind farm” project on the north end of Lāna’i;
• ¼ of Lāna’i, or 22,000 acres, could potentially be used;
• The energy will be piped to Oahu via an underwater sea
cable;
• None of the power
will be consumed on
Lāna’i;
Keahiakawelo or Garden of the Gods; site of
the proposed “wind farm” project
HACBED Community Voice, Collective Action
5. Who Was Surveyed?
• 400 randomly selected homes
• 156 responses
• 95% confidence; +/- 7.5% margin of error
• Demographics represent 2000 U.S. Census data
– 46% Filipinos
– 21% White
– 11% Japanese
– 10% Hawaiian
HACBED Community Voice, Collective Action
6. Survey Results
Nearly all respondents were aware of the proposed
project
Are you aware of the wind farm project?
Yes No
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7. Survey Results
Respondents held generally low opinions about what
benefits the project will bring
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10% 22%
10% 11%
0%
Increase jobs Decrease bills Provide community benefits
HACBED Community Voice, Collective Action
8. Survey Results
Majority of respondents believe negative impacts will
be felt
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
65% 58% 54% 51% 52%
20%
10%
0%
Decrease Hunting Access Permanently Alter the Land Decrease Fishing Access Destroy Cultural Sites Not Decrease Electric Bills
HACBED Community Voice, Collective Action
9. Survey Results
Majority of respondents highly value the land for
different reasons
What value does the land hold for you?
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
66% 64% 53%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Natural beauty Hunting/Fishing access Cultural
HACBED Community Voice, Collective Action
10. Lifting Lāna ians Voices
Lāna ians express their thoughts about the project:
• “Another project to take something away from Lanai”
• “Benefit landowners only”
• “Eye sore, restricted access.”
• “Experience with solar farms = no electricity bill decrease [no] jobs for
Lāna ians .”
• “It will do nothing for Lāna i”
• “[B]e good if electricity came to homes here”
• “Jobs for non-Lāna ians”
• “Keep Castle & Cooke financially [safe and] not go out of business.”
• “No stop hunting and fishing.”
HACBED Community Voice, Collective Action
11. Support or Oppose?
Of the Lāna ians surveyed:
• 7% supported the windfarm outright;
• 21% opposed the project;
• 23% supported the project but with reservation; and
• 36% needed more information
*Support or not, respondents clearly saw the potential
for the project to divide the community, negatively
impacting one of the most important things to
Lāna ians . . . Sense of community and relationships
to each other.
HACBED Community Voice, Collective Action
12. Most Important Things
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Sense Of Community - The People Lana`i Lifestyle Natural Resources - Lanai's Beauty Safety Access - Hunting, Fishing, Outdoors
HACBED Community Voice, Collective Action
13. LSG’s Position on Windmills
“At this time, LSG is opposed to the proposed wind
farm project, because we do not see that the
potential benefits outweigh the impacts to the
environmental, cultural, natural beauty, social, and
economic impacts to Lāna i and its community.”
While LSG is opposed to the project, we are committed to
ensuring that this project is vetted through a fair process and
that Lāna ians are heard.
Soon, LSG will be hosting meetings to gather more community
input, & share our ideas about mitigation and benefits.
HACBED Community Voice, Collective Action
14. For More Information
Stay up to date; Get involved!
• Visit our website at http://lanaicity.ning.com ; or
• Facebook page - Lāna ians for Sensible Growth
• Email – lsglanai@gmail.com
• We host monthly membership meetings the 2nd
Mondays of every month
HACBED Community Voice, Collective Action