HAWAII VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK, Hawaii — Officials from Hawaii Volcanoes National Park working with Hawaii Electric Light Company are requesting public input to include in an environmental assessment for the proposed relocation of an electrical transmission line within the park.

What You Need To Know

  • The project’s main purpose is to upgrade and bring sub-transmission and distribution power poles and lines up to code, while also moving them from within the Kilauea summit and forest areas to be routed along Highway 11

  • Poles and lines currently sit along a corridor that has hazards such as lava tubes and cracks in the earth, making maintenance and repairs difficult and unsafe

  • Moving power poles and lines along the highway will protect the park’s forest areas while allowing HELCO to maintain the electrical infrastructure and surrounding vegetation

  • To be considered in the draft environmental assessment, all comments must be submitted by Jan. 14, 2024

Completed in 2020, Phase 1 and 2 included an area between the Kilauea Switching Station outside the Kaʻū-side boundary of the park to Piʻi Mauna Drive inside the park.

The Phase 3 project will upgrade and “harden the 3400 Line,” according to a news release. The 3400 Line stretches from Puna to just outside the park’s boundary on the Kaʻū side and the project will include Piʻi Mauna Drive and the Hilo side of the park boundary near Old Volcano Road.

The project’s main purpose is to upgrade and bring sub-transmission and distribution power poles and lines up to code, while also moving them from within the Kilauea summit and forest areas to be routed along Highway 11.

Poles and lines currently sit along a corridor that has hazards such as lava tubes and cracks in the earth, making maintenance and repairs difficult and unsafe. The project will include removing poles and lines where possible and leaving those in the hazardous areas.

According to HVNP, many of these poles were installed in the 1960s.

Moving power poles and lines along the highway will protect the park’s forest areas while allowing HELCO to maintain the electrical infrastructure and surrounding vegetation.

HVNP officials are working with HELCO and Tetra Tech, Inc. on analyzing alternatives and developing mitigation measures looking at two main avenues: relocating the existing power line by installing new poles and transmission and distribution lines along 2.6 miles of Highway 11 and removing and/or decommissioning approximately 2.6 miles of existing poles and transmission and distribution lines within the existing power line alignment in HVN.

The public can provide feedback on the proposed project in three ways — online, via email sent to havo_planning@nps.gov and mailing a hard copy to: Attn: 3400 Phase 3 Power Line Relocation, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, P.O. Box 52, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, HI 96718-0052.

To be considered in the draft environmental assessment, all comments must be submitted by Jan. 14, 2024.

Sarah Yamanaka covers events, environmental and community news for Spectrum News Hawaii. She can be reached at sarah.yamanaka@charter.com.

EDITOR’S NOTE: The article has been updated to reflect the correct email address to send feedback. (Dec. 24, 2023)