Oahu Coal Plant Vows To Reduce Carbon Emissions
AES Hawaii’s announcement came after the Sierra Club filed suit asking the state to impose a lower standard required by law.
AES Hawaii Inc. has agreed to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions at its coal-fired plant in Kapolei, which provides about one-fifth of Oahu鈥檚 electricity, the company said in a statement on Wednesday.
The announcement came after the Sierra Club earlier this week sued the Hawaii Department of Health, asking a state judge to require DOH make the power plant reduce its carbon dioxide emissions as . In its complaint, the Sierra Club said the department had failed to fulfill a duty to make sure AES had submitted a plan to lower emissions to at least 1990 levels by Jan. 1.
The Department of Health declined to comment when asked about the complaint. But AES said it planned to lower its carbon emissions.
鈥淎ES is doing its part to help Hawai鈥榠 achieve its green energy goals by committing to reducing CO2听聽emissions by 16% compared to a decade ago,鈥 the company said in a statement attributed to Mark Miller, chief operating officer for the AES US Generation businesses.
David Kimo Frankel, a Honolulu attorney who filed the suit for Sierra Club, said the announcement indicates the group achieved its primary goal, which was to get the Department of Health to act and for the power plant to lower its emissions. Although there still has been no official plan, Frankel said it appears one is coming soon.
鈥淭hings will probably get resolved fairly quickly,鈥 he said.
