Kohala Watershed

Group given history of area

Exploring the Preserve

Stopping for a picture

The Kohala Watershed Partnership, Mauna Kea Watershed Alliance, and Three Mountain Alliance hosted a tour of the Kilohana Stream Biodiversity Preserve which is a ten acre parcel of intact wet forest and globally rare species of flowering plants in the Kohala Mountains.  Tour participants included partnership members, landowners, and representatives of various environmental groups and the Department of Land and Natural Resources.  The group spend a few hours to learn the history of Kilohana Stream and look at the various techniques employed to preserve this special resource.

Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicle Facility

Speaker Calvin Say leads members of the HouseCommittees on Higher Education and
Energy and Environmental Protection on tour of Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicle facility at 
Join Base Hickam/Pearl Harbor. 

Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicles - GM Equinox
SUV's currently in testing by military in Hawaii

Representative Nakashima coordinated visitations by the House Committees

Photovoltaic panels provide power to the
electrolyzer making the process renewable
and a totally fossil fuel free process.

on Higher Education and Energy and Environmental Protection to the Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicle Facility at Joint Base Hickam/Pearl Harbor to learn  more about the current technology and plans for introduction of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles into the consumer market.

Mark is given the chance to test drive one of
the Hydrogen Fuel Cell GM Equinox SUV's

The Hawaii Center for Advanced Transportation Technology serves as a catalyst to expand transportation technology development in Hawaii and is currently working in partnership with the US Air Force to develop and demonstrate zero emission and low emission transportation technologies to meet military and commercial needs.

A new electrolyzer which was being installed during our visit will continue to test the durability of the technology in the field.  An electrolyzer is a device that converts water into hydrogen and oxygen.  The new electrolyzer is portable, small enough to fit in half a Matson Container, and is able to desalinate and purify the water before splitting the water molecule into its parts.  This is important in military application as it would cut down on the need to transport hydrogen via supply lines and will allow for the manufacture of hydrogen closer to the point of use in the field.  A hose need simply be put into a stream, pond or ocean to create the needed hydrogen for transportation.


An array of photovoltaic panels provide the necessary power to run the electrolyzer and no fossil fuels are utilized anywhere in the hydrogen creation process making it a totally renewable resource.