One small postscript to the news earlier today about reports from Romy Cachola, Ann Kobayashi and Ikaika Anderson about their trip together to San Francisco to tour sewage treatment plants there.

It turns out that trip was paid for by HRP 56, LLC — the company that might provide the technology if Honolulu followed San Francisco’s lead and built a system to turn sewage into electricity. Upon their return, the three City Council members said Honolulu should look into building such a system.

The council accepted a gift from HRP 56 to cover their airfare, hotel, rental car and meals for the San Francisco trip. Here’s how the company explained the gift:

As you know, the City Council has invited pilot systems to be constructed at the Sand Island plant for review and consideration. Our proposed system is a proven commercial technology as evidenced by approximately 70 digesters in operation in cities such as San Francisco, Los Angeles, Washington D.C. and New York City.

A pilot test is not feasible due to time constraints and the expense ofthe construction, hence our desire to escort the City Councilmembers on a tour of the San Francisco Wastewater Treatment Plants and to have any questions answered by the actual plant operators.

HRP 56 estimated it would cost $7,685 to host four council members, but the permitted interaction group included just the three. That would presumably knock the value of the gift down to about $6,000. By comparison, Cachola noted in his report that a second pellet-producing digester at Sand Island would cost $26 million.

(Photo by Flickr user stevendepolo)