Community Action Against Ormat in Hawaii and Global Geothermal Controversies: A Personal Battle for Justice
- wearepuna
- 7 days ago
- 7 min read
Updated: 7 days ago
Geothermal energy is often praised as a clean and renewable power source. Yet, the expansion of geothermal projects, especially those led by companies like Ormat Technologies, has sparked significant community resistance and legal battles worldwide. In Hawaii, this conflict takes on a deeply personal dimension through the story of Sara Steiner, who is fighting not only a rare melanoma diagnosis but also the encroachment of Ormat’s geothermal operations near her home. This post explores the global controversies surrounding Ormat, the active lawsuits filed by grassroots activists including Sara, and the broader community actions opposing geothermal expansion.
Ormat Technologies and Its Global Footprint
Ormat Technologies is an Israeli-owned company specializing in geothermal energy production. It operates geothermal plants in several countries, including the United States, Kenya, Guatemala, and the Philippines. Ormat’s projects worldwide have faced criticism for environmental damage, community displacement, and lack of transparency (just google Ormat Corruption).
Controversies Around the World
Kenya: Local communities have protested Ormat’s Olkaria geothermal project, citing displacement without adequate compensation and environmental degradation.
Guatemala and New Zealand: Indigenous groups have opposed Ormat’s operations, arguing that the projects threaten sacred lands and water sources.
United States: Lawsuits have been filed over Ormat’s environmental practices, including concerns about groundwater contamination and habitat disruption.
These examples illustrate a pattern of conflict where Ormat’s geothermal expansion clashes with local communities’ rights and environmental protection.
The Situation in Hawaii
Hawaii’s unique ecosystem and cultural heritage, with live descendants of Mādame Pele the Hawaiian Volcano Goddess opposing, make geothermal projects especially sensitive. Ormat’s operations on the Big Island have raised alarms among residents worried about health risks, property damage, and cultural impacts.
Community Concerns
Health Risks: Residents near Ormat’s geothermal plants report respiratory issues and other health problems, which they attribute to emissions and pollutants.
Property and Land Use: Homeowners like Sara Steiner face the threat of their properties being affected by drilling and infrastructure development.
Cultural Impact: The geothermal sites often overlap with sacred Hawaiian lands, leading to protests from native groups.
Environmental Harm: everywhere else in the world there are strict regulations and safeguards in place for geothermal fracking and its extremely dangerous harm on the land. Here in Hawaii they conceal any real truths and refuse to do any studys .
Sara Steiner’s Legal Battle and Personal Struggle
Sara Steiner has emerged as a key figure in the battle against Ormat in Hawaii. She is representing herself, her community, and the land she loves so much (Hawaii Island) pro se in lawsuits challenging Ormat’s operations near her home and has been continuously involved in lawsuits and contested cases since 2015, seeking accountability for her suffering community. Simultaneously, she is fighting aggressive stage 2 melanoma, a rare form of skin cancer, and recently underwent surgery to remove a urethral tumor just a week after her last court appearance on April 15th for a hearing on future geothermal rulemaking in Hilo Environmental Court (mahalo to everyone who attended in support of Madame Pele). It just so happens that Melanoma (skin cancer) is also one of the top three cancers linked to the geothermal emissions that Sara has been contesting in Hawaii courts for over a decade, and for over 3 decades in the streets of Puna Hawaii .
The Lawsuits: the 2024 Hawaii Geothermal Injunction (currently stalled in Intermediate court of Appeals as they seemingly fast track geo expansion all over the fake state of HI ) & the more recently filed Hawaii Geothermal Rulemaking Petition (awaiting written decision from Judge)
Grounds for Legal Action: Sara’s lawsuits focus on alleged violations of environmental laws, property rights, and health regulations.
Challenges of Pro Se Representation: Without formal legal counsel, Sara faces the complex task of navigating the legal system while managing her health, her GOFUNDME will be included at the end if this blog post if you can help support her on this cancer recovery journey.
Community Support: Despite these challenges, she has garnered lots of support from local activists and environmental groups, and continues to be supported behind the scenes.
Sara’s situation underscores the intersection of personal adversity and community activism, illustrating how individual bravery can inspire significant social change. Since 1991, Sara has been actively engaged in this cause. She and her family, including me as a toddler, along with much of the community on the hidden Puna coast, nearly lost their lives due to the massive blowouts at Puna Geothermal Venture. I mean when you think about it: She has witnessed soooo many of her closest friends and neighbors being intimidated and silenced when seeking help over tgese past 3 decades. Her ex-husband (my father) has suffered severe mental health issues and constant illness due to 90% mercury poisoning, medically diagnosed with the reason being living at the geothermal base where he raised their daughter for 30 years in the home they built. She has seen her granddaughter and daughter suffer from severe illness due to the unmonitored air affecting our home daily, with no justice or assistance available for far too long. Her internal motivation is unwavering. She will not give up, and because of this determination, she will succeed in this huge fight against big corporations as a individual community arrist and activist with a paralegal degree who cannot be bought or swayed. 🙏 and I am so completely proud to call her my mama.
Broader Community Actions Against Geothermal Expansion
Across Hawaii and other affected regions, communities have organized to resist geothermal projects. These actions include:
Public Demonstrations: Protests and rallies raise awareness about the environmental and social costs of geothermal development.
Legal Challenges: Residents and activists file lawsuits to halt or modify projects that threaten their homes and environment. In Hawaii there has been 42 lawsuits in the past 40 years ALONE .
Advocacy and Education: Groups work to inform the public and policymakers about the risks associated with geothermal energy expansion.
Kanaka Maoli led group Truth for the People Hawaii and its community geothermal forums around Moku O Keawe the past year, providing a platform for true and accurate geothermal awareness for the Native Hawaiian Beneficiaries #MalamaAina
KahuPuna community organization, Puna Hawaii , with its creation of this website and many other branches in the Puna community fighting for accurate global education regarding geothermal fracking, it being a violation of Kanawai (laws of the land in Hawaiian Kingdom) and its harms to aina . KahuPuna is also working towards a Masters in criminal Justice to start fighting this from ALL angles in the judicial system starting 2029
•Hawaii State Senate 2026 Session: The people of Hawaii are uniting to oppose the foreign exploitation by Ormat Geothermal on sacred lands. They are saying enough to the deaths, lies, and cover-ups. You can view the testimonies for each geothermal-related bill on the Hawaii State Legislative website. The Royal Order of the Hawaiian Kingdom also stands firm, declaring 'ĀOLE to all future geothermal projects in HB1307, which is where it should have concluded. It's time for those responsible to leave their positions of power in Hawaii!
Check google for geothermal resistance , you just have to search the right things and you would be surprised all the world of information you wouldn't otherwise see 😉 use the exact words to start: "Geothermal protests Puna Hawaii" or "Hawaii Geothermal Injunction Puna Community" or "Hawaii Geothermal Opposition Respect Pele" or another good one is "GEOTHERMAL DRILLING VS FRACKING" and "Geothermal Enmisions Health Effects"
These efforts aim to hold companies like Ormat accountable and promote more sustainable and community-friendly energy solutions.
What This Means for Geothermal Energy
The conflicts surrounding Ormat and geothermal expansion reveal the need for a balanced approach to renewable energy development. Key takeaways include:
Respect for Local Communities: Energy projects must prioritize the rights and voices of those directly affected.
Environmental Safeguards: Rigorous impact assessments and monitoring are essential to prevent harm.
Transparency and Accountability: Companies should operate openly and respond to community concerns promptly.
Sara Steiner’s fight as an individual standing up to big corporations in her yard, even during her own health struggles, exemplifies how individuals and communities can challenge powerful interests to protect their health, homes, and heritage. You can join the legal group she spearheads on Facebook called A'OLE PGV for all legal updates and daily reports from native Puna people who are being gassed daily in their homes with no justice to be found anywhere they look .
Lets help our home
Lets help our planet
Lets rasie true geothermal awareness and education around the world so nobody has to suffer like the Puna people have been for decades .
Enough lives lost
Enough lies to the general population.
Its time we breathe
Its time mother earth breathes.
EYE LAVA YOU ALL. If you have made it this far-> THANK YOU . You being here means the world to me and my community . The more people here , the better chances we have to free ourselves .
Please share this out to your social media pages , and please subscribe to this blog (its FREE) . Just exit this article to go back to the main blog and website for a plethora of information regarding the 50 year fight in Puna Hawaii on kīlauea volcanoes lower east rift zone.
Xox
jazzy
kahuPuna (@kahu_puna on Instagram and tik tok)
lerz puna news weekly (on fb)
SARAS MEDICAL GOFUND ME : https://gofund.me/d5a511b4c
SARAS LEGAL GOFUND ME (all she does it out of her own pockets blood sweat and tears. Court filings are up to 500$ each time she files on behalf of the 'aina) : https://gofund.me/f816ac0d7
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