Here came the best Christmas present!
Electricity from the grid to our agroforestry farm was finally installed.
Right after we obtained the parcel lease in 2020, the government agencies closed due to the pandemic by COVID-19.
Even after a window opened, phone calls and email inquiries went unanswered. After many trips to the Honolulu City Hall and reworking the permit application many times, we finally received the permit from the DPP (Department of Planning and Permitting) in July 2023 to install electricity.
However, the Maui wildfire disaster broke out. Perhaps affected by that, the Hawaii Electric Company (HECO) suspended our request, and we had to wait another five months.
At last, this morning, the power lines were laid from the Waimanalo grid to the utility poles on our farm. The distance between the poles outside and inside is about 80 feet. Gary and I were so moved, looking up at this mere 80 feet.
But because of that, I met many people and learned many things. Now, we even appreciate what happened on the long and winding road. With the lessons in mind, we are going into the next step of the agroforestry project in 2024.
