Posted July 29, 2010

On July 13, 2010, First Winds held their groundbreaking ceremony out in breezy Kahuku. Media5 Architecture designed the First Wind Kahuku Operations and Maintenance Building and was invited to attend the event along with other project team members, key political figures, and the Kahuku community. The ceremony consisted of a variety of speakers who shared their thoughts and vision of the benefits this facility would bring to the State of Hawaii and community.

Governor Linda Lingle shared her excitement in the future of Hawaii and green energy technology. CEO of First Winds, Paul Gaynor, expressed his gratitude to the community and project team members in their efforts of making this project a success so far. Senator Clayton Hee and Senator Mike Gabbard gave their blessings on behalf of the Hawaii State Senate to this project. President and CEO of Hawaiian Electric Company (HECO), Dick Rosenblum, was proud to partner with First Winds on green energy harvesting. Other key team members from Makani Nui Associates, RMT, Xtreme Power, Inc, and Clipper Windpower, Inc. shared their involvement and enthusiasm for this project.

The most inspiring aspect of the ceremony was the spirit of Aloha shared between the speakers and attendees. Everyone communicated the same goals for this project and expressed their gratitude to each other and the people of Hawaii in making the initial journey up to this groundbreaking event a success. In giving back to the community and promoting the future of science and technology, First Winds granted a scholarship to a local high school student, Jing Hua, who expressed a sincere interest in innovative technology for her senior project.

The ceremony concluded with a blessing from Kahu Kordell Kekoa of Bishop Memorial Church, who shared his knowledge about the history and the significance of the winds to Hawaii and its people. The educational aspect of this ceremony was enlightening and strengthened the culture and traditions of Hawaii. As the key members broke ground with O’o sticks (a traditional Hawaiian digging tool), everyone had the same goal in mind…this was the beginning of preserving and respecting the environment for future generations to come.