The Department of Hawaiian Home Lands is taking its geothermal pitch on a statewide tour this summer, lining up a string of beneficiary meetings across the islands. The agency says the sessions will walk homesteaders through plans for non‑invasive surveys and, if the data supports it, limited test drilling on DHHL trust lands that officials argue could bring in revenue and help knock down utility bills for lessees. The rollout is already meeting a mix of cautious curiosity and sharp resistance from beneficiaries and community groups worried about cultural and environmental fallout.
DHHL says it will stage nine public meetings statewide, with stops from Hoʻolehua on Molokaʻi to Naʻālehu on Hawaiʻi Island, plus multiple sessions on Oʻahu and Maui between mid‑May and mid‑June. As reported by Hawaii News Now, the gatherings are framed as beneficiary consultations where staff will go over maps, proposed testing methods and possible next steps. Officials say the goal is to collect feedback before the department signs off on any subsurface work.
What DHHL is proposing
The department has asked lawmakers for exploratory funding and has identified roughly a dozen potential study zones across Hawaiʻi Island, Maui, Molokaʻi, Oʻahu and Kauaʻi. According to Hawaiʻi Public Radio, DHHL estimates geoscience surveys at the sites would run about $4–5 million, while slim‑hole testing at several locations could cost $40–50 million. Officials stress that the sequence would start with non‑invasive surface work and community consultation before they consider any drilling.
Lessons from Aotearoa
To shape its approach, DHHL leadership traveled to Aotearoa to meet with Maori trusts that manage geothermal reservoirs and say they studied models for local ownership and stewardship. Mana Newton of the Tauhara North No.2 Trust told Hawaii News Now that some Maori communities “had to look at that development and ask ourselves how could we be connected to this resource that supports us into the future.” DHHL officials say those conversations helped shape a plan that talks up beneficiary control and cultural safeguards.
Cost pressure behind the push
Agency leaders point to steep electricity bills for homesteaders as a major driver. Chair Kali Watson told lawmakers that beneficiaries pay roughly $32 million a year in electric costs across about 11,000 homestead leases. That testimony appears in a public hearing transcript archived by Civil Beat’s public‑records portal. The Hawaiian Homes Commission also placed an agenda item earlier this year to consider a budget for geothermal exploration, a sign the idea is moving through formal channels. (Civil Beat; state calendar.)
Community response
Opposition has been loud and organized. Beneficiaries and community advocates have raised cultural, health and environmental concerns at legislative hearings and in written testimony. Terri Napeahi of the Keaukaha Action Network told Hawaiʻi Public Radio that many beneficiaries felt blindsided by the push and warned against moving ahead with exploration without deeper consultation. Testimony sent to lawmakers and DHHL runs the gamut from calls for strict cultural safeguards to outright rejection of any drilling.
What to expect next
DHHL frames the statewide meetings as the next step in a phased rollout, with the department’s meetings page listing community meeting dates and instructions for submitting testimony. For full schedules and commission packets, officials point beneficiaries to the department’s meetings page and the state public meetings portal. DHHL leaders say beneficiary backing would be required before they move from surveys to any drill testing. (DHHL & state calendar.)
