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Posted: Thursday, May 3rd, 2012 5:49 AM HST

Undersea cable bill gets 1 last chance in Senate

By Associated Press

A proposal to connect Oahu and neighbor island power grids has been given a new lease on life. Hawaii's geographic isolation prevents sharing electricity with other states, as seen on the mainland. It also means higher costs for fuel. An interisland high voltage electric transmission cable system could change that by linking power sources on different islands. The result would increase the reliability of power statewide, and also stabilize costs, according to Gov. Neil Abercrombie, whose administration proposed the measure. The Senate will vote on the governor's bill Thursday, the last day of the 2012 legislative session. Senate Bill 2785 would allow the state to begin establishing regulations so that planning and implementation of an undersea cable can move forward.