Constructing dozens of wind turbines on the island of Lanai so HECO can transport the electricity back to Oahu hasn’t been the easiest sell on the Pineapple Isle. 

But a community benefits package negotiated between HECO, Castle and Cooke and local residents has helped attract support for Big Wind. 

However, with the recent sale of Lanai it’s highly questionable as to whether Castle & Cooke will be able to deliver on the benefits it promised, such as maintaining workforce levels and allowing residents to buy their rental housing at fair market prices. David Murdock retained the rights to build the wind farm in Lanai’s sale to Oracle CEO Larry Ellison.  

But maybe residents could try to negotiate for some of the things Murdock did maintain in the sale — such as 1,000 rare orchids, an electric vehicle or two carved elephant tusks. 

You can read about what Murdock kept in the sale in Civil Beat’s story: You Can Have the Island, But I’m Keeping the Elephant Tusks.