West Kauai farmers and fishers are suing the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources. They’re saying the agency did not require an Environmental Impact Statement for a massive hydroelectric project along the Waimea River. Kauai Now News reports Kauai Island Utility Cooperative – the county’s electricity provider – is planning to rehabilitate existing reservoirs, roads, and irrigation systems throughout the West Side with project partner AES. The resulting hydroelectric system, dubbed the West Kauai Energy Project, would provide up to 25 percent of the county’s power supply, according to the utility cooperative.
