Groups Push For Ethanol Growth in Hawaii

[roteague]

"HONOLULU - Critics are saying it's time for Congress to reconsider ethanol as an alternative fuel, and Hawaii politicians are pushing full-speed ahead to promote ethanol production on fallow sugar lands.

...

Critics said the diversion of corn into ethanol in the Midwest has made food costs soar and increased the cost of animal feed.

But in Hawaii, the state's ethanol push is different because producers intend to use land currently not in food production.

...

*** and Robinson Sugar Plantation, on Kauai, with partner Pacific West, said it has a permit to go, but it said it still needs more financing.

"We are literally converting ourselves from being a sugar company into an energy company," *** and Robinson President Alan Kennett said.

...

About 40 million gallons of ethanol is imported each year, officials said, which supporters said is another reason to push for locally-grown ethanol."

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24900324

[roteague]

Sorry, the *** is supposed to be G A Y - the name of the company. The bad word filters are a bit aggresive here.

[SierraGS]

Why are there "fallow sugar lands" in Hawaii??

Does Al Gore know about this waste of farm land?? (kidding)

Shouldn't they be growing something on them?

My vote is for sugar cane for ethanol but there has to be some crop that can be grown there at a profit.

[roteague]

Originally Posted by SierraGS

Why are there "fallow sugar lands" in Hawaii??

Does Al Gore know about this waste of farm land?? (kidding)

Shouldn't they be growing something on them?

My vote is for sugar cane for ethanol but there has to be some crop that can be grown there at a profit.

Sugar has been dead for many years here, with a couple of small exceptions. It was replaced by pineapple, but that is dead as well. We have a lot of land, once used for sugar, then pineapple, that is just lying fallow.

The state mandated 10% ethanol a few years back to try to encourage this kind of thing, but all it would up doing was just becoming one more item we need to import into the state. It is only the current high cost of gas that is causing people to start talking about this again.