The Fiery Resistance: Native Hawaiian Opposition to Geothermal Energy on Hawaiʻi Island, 1980s–2025

In the shadow of Kīlauea, the living embodiment of Pele, the Hawaiian volcano goddess, lies a story of deep cultural reverence clashing with modern energy ambitions. For many Native Hawaiians (Kānaka Maoli), geothermal development isn't just an environmental or economic issue—it's a profound spiritual desecration. Drilling into the earth's fiery heart is seen as piercing the body of Pele herself, disrupting the sacred balance of 'āina (land) and disrupting ancestral ties to wahi pana (sacred places). This belief has fueled decades of resistance, from massive rallies in the rainforests to tense public meetings in 2025.

The Puna Geothermal Venture (PGV) on Hawaiʻi Island's Big Island has been ground zero for this conflict since the 1970s. What began as experimental wells has evolved into a 38-megawatt plant supplying a quarter of the island's power—but at what cost to cultural identity? Opposition, often led by groups like the Pele Defense Fund, argues that harnessing Pele's mana (spiritual power) without proper protocols invites catastrophe, echoing fears of volcanic retribution. Let's trace the major demonstrations and actions, decade by decade, highlighting the voices that have kept the fire of resistance alive.

The 1980s: Seeds of Dissent and Early Clashes

The geothermal saga ignited in the mid-1970s when the state drilled the first test well (HGP-A) without an environmental impact statement or public input, releasing toxic hydrogen sulfide gas and noise that alarmed nearby . By the 1980s, as plans for commercial plants emerged, Native Hawaiian opposition crystallized around spiritual and cultural grounds. Pele practitioners viewed the East Rift Zone as Pele's domain, where drilling equated to wounding a living deity.

Early actions were grassroots: In the 1980s, residents and cultural advocates filed a failed lawsuit against the experimental 3-megawatt generator's pollution and noise, marking the first legal pushback. The Pele Defense Fund, founded by kupuna (elders) like Palikapu Dedman, emerged as a key voice, arguing that development violated Native Hawaiian gathering rights in the Wao Kele O Puna rainforest—a sacred lowland forest teeming with medicinal plants used since pre-contact . Dedman famously stated, "We’ve been living with Pele for hundreds of years. When Pele is present, you just move out of the way. You don’t build there. You don’t poke holes."

These early clashes set the stage, blending environmentalism with calls to honor Pele through hoʻomalu (protection) rather than exploitation.

Incidents like a 1989 blowout at the Hawaii Geothermal Project facility amplified fears, leading to its shutdown and county reviews of permits. By decade's end, opposition had grown from whispers to organized resistance, foreshadowing the explosive 1990s.

The 1990s: The Peak of Civil Disobedience – The Wao Kele O Puna Uprising

The 1990s saw the most dramatic demonstrations, as plans to drill in the pristine Wao Kele O Puna rainforest—considered Pele's sacred resting place—sparked widespread outrage. Native Hawaiians argued the project desecrated not just land but their birthright, breaching the ceded lands trust that guaranteed access for hunting and gathering.

The watershed moment came on March 25, 1990: Over 1,500 protesters, led by Native Hawaiians and backed by more than 30 groups including the Pele Defense Fund and Big Island Rainforest Action Group, marched to the drilling site. They breached a 12-foot cyclone fence dubbed "True's Berlin Wall" to symbolize the barrier between people and their 'āina. Chanting for Pele's protection, 141 were arrested for trespassing and obstructing police—the largest act of civil disobedience in modern Hawaiian history at the time.

The momentum continued the next day, March 26, 1990, with more than 1,000 demonstrators blockading the True/Geothermal facility entrance, halting operations and drawing national attention.

Opposition bore fruit: A 1996 state Supreme Court ruling (Pele Defense Fund v. Paty) affirmed Native Hawaiian access rights to the forest, halting further drilling there.

Smaller actions persisted, like a 1996 rally outside Hilo's county building, where residents held signs protesting geothermal's affects.

In 1998, a public EPA meeting on new wells saw opponents outnumber supporters 2-to-1, with pleas for protection from "hazards" dominating.

A 1991 well blowout at PGV—a 60-foot steam plume—further validated fears, leading to permit suspensions and an state action plan.(which still in 2025 is totally concealed and swept under the rug , any safety concerns are erased as they lie to the world that this is ok in any way.)

These events weren't just protests; they were assertions of maoli sovereignty, framing geothermal as colonial extraction of sacred resources.

The 2000s–2010s: Simmering Tensions and Legal Battles

As PGV operated from 1993, opposition shifted to health and safety concerns, intertwined with cultural sacrilege. Fines for gas releases (e.g., $76,500 EPA penalty in 2013 for hydrogen sulfide violations) and a 2014 storm-related leak affecting residents fueled lawsuits and complaints.

Native Hawaiian voices, like those from the Pele Defense Fund, continued to decry desecration, especially as the plant expanded.

Notable actions included arrests of figures like Sen. Russell Ruderman in the 2000s for blockades, exhausting "all remedies" against hazards.

In 2013, protesters confronted Hawaiian Electric Light Company (HELCO) over expansion plans, echoing 1980s-90s tactics but on a smaller scale.

By 2016, cultural opposition was formalized in assessments, noting clashes with Pele worship.

The 2018 Kīlauea eruption—devastating Puna and damaging PGV—was interpreted by many as Pele's wrath against the plant, reigniting debates on reopening. Residents and cultural advocates rallied against restart, citing safety and spiritual imbalance, with calls to "let Pele rest. Though no massive rally occurred, community forums and media amplified the sacrilege narrative.

Sara steiner of the Puna community started battling PGV and the county of hawaii in court for any form of community air and seismic monitoring starting in 2015.

The 2020s: Renewed Pushback Amid Expansion Plans

Into the 2020s, as Hawaiʻi pushes for renewables, opposition persists through public testimony and meetings, blending cultural reverence with health fears. The 2022 Repower Project—to boost output to 46 MW—sparked an EIS, inviting scrutiny and a big unprecedented Injunction filed by sara steiner and including dozens of people within its declarations.

In june 2023, a public meeting on the Repower Project drew vocal residents blaming PGV for the 2018 eruption rampimg up due to their geothermal procedures to divert kilauea anytime it comes near the plant (their well quenching procedures have been proven to be the exact cause of the explosiveness and devastation of 2018 for a court of law with multiole volcano scientists) and demanding closure; critics refused to "back down," linking it to Pele's domain.

July 2024 the Puna community made history in day one of the Hawaii Geothermal Injunction which exposes decades of lies , no permits , no monitoring , cover uos and deaths all at the hands of pgv .

By 2025, tensions escalated:

- **February 2025**: Testimony against HB1307, a $20 million geothermal funding bill, from Native Hawaiian advocates citing cultural and trust violations.

- **March 2025**: Lawmakers debated funding amid community concerns over Pele and safety.

- **July 2025**: A county committee meeting highlighted health issues and activism, with residents opposing plant operations as sacrilegious.

- **August 2025**: In Pahoa, dozens pushed back at a PGV upgrade meeting, skeptical of promises and invoking cultural desecration.

These gatherings, while not the mass arrests of 1990, carry the same spirit: Demands for consultation, protocols like offerings to Pele, and prioritizing aloha 'āina over profit.

A Living Legacy of Resistance

From the rainforest blockades of 1990 to 2025's town halls, Native Hawaiian opposition to geothermal underscores a timeless truth: The 'āina is family, and Pele is family. While some now advocate "respectful" development for energy independence, the sacrilege charge endures, reminding us that true sustainability honors the past. As Kīlauea stirs, will policymakers listen to the fire within?

*Sources drawn from historical records, news archives, and cultural testimonies. For deeper reading, explore the Pele Defense Fund's legacy and join 'A'OLE PGV fb group.

KahuPuna

Aloha Activism

#endgeothermal