Regardless of whether or not the Molokai community decides wind energy is a healthy option for the island, wind turbines will not appear any time soon. There is still much to be done and many questions to be answered before First Wind, the company that has proposed a wind farm on the island, could move forward with the project. The company held a public meeting last week to continue to hear local concerns and clear up any misunderstandings about the project.

"I am looking for ways to work the community input into our project, because based on my experience with Molokai, if the community is not a part of it, it's not going to happen," said Noe Kalipi, First Wind Director of Community Relations.

Most Molokai residents who attended last Thursday's meeting would be happy if the deal never went through. First Wind's current plan calls for the installation of up to 20 turbines on Hawaiian Homestead land in Ho`olehua, followed by as many as 60 turbines on Molokai Ranch land in a second phase. However, exact locations for the windmills have not been decided, and neither the Department of Hawaiian Homelands nor Molokai Ranch have agreed to let First Wind build on their land.