MEDIA RELEASE

Approximately 70 percent of the electricity used on the Big Island is generated by expensive, imported fossil fuel. Our dependence on imported fossil fuel not only presents a serious risk to our power system and creates huge amounts of greenhouse gases, but also drains billions of dollars from our economy annually.

Hawaii Island is unique in that it has an unlimited amount of geothermal energy which is available 24 hours a day and does not pollute our planet.

How and when can this energy source help to reduce our dependence on imported fossil fuels?

The 2010 state Legislature assigned the task of building a plan for increasing geothermal energy on Hawaii Island to the Geothermal Working Group, lead by co-chairme Richard Ha and Wally Ishibashi. The Working Group has submitted their Preliminary plan to the 2011 State Legislature.

Come listen to the Geothermal Working Group present their plan for reducing our dependence on imported fossil fuels.

Speakers include Richard Ha and Wallace Ishibashi, Geothermal Working Group Co-Chairs, Don Thomas, University of Hawaii Geochemist with the Center of Volcanic Studies, Mike Kaleikini, Puna Geothermal Venture Plant Manager and Guy Toyama, CEO of H2 Technologies who will present related hydrogen and ammonia generation technologies.

District 7 County Councilwoman Brenda Ford will provide a Council update.

The Kona Town Meeting is 6-8 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 8 at Makaeo Events Pavilion, Old Kona Airport Park.

Kona Town Meetings are presented by Community Enterprises, a non-partisan, non-profit organization, to provide vital information on community concerns to Kona citizens. Light refreshments will be served.

For more information, please call Fred Housel at 331-8602 or visit www.konatownmeeting.org