On subsidizing PV systems, survey says, "maybe"

Blue Planet Foundation’s primary concern is with moving Hawaii further along the green-energy route, so it’s clear why it commissioned a survey to gauge the impact of changing the state’s energy tax policies. The nonprofit wants to add a note of caution to the hubbub over proposals to sharply reduce the tax credit that offsets the cost of photovoltaic panel installations.

Unfortunately, the survey results, released last week, don’t exactly provide a crystal ball. When asked if they would have installed PV even without the same tax benefit, 16 percent said yes and 21 percent said no — 63 percent were unsure.

And that suggests the only way we’re going to know how a diminished tax incentive will shake up the industry is to just do it. Take the training wheels off, even if it’s a bit scary.

Nature stakes claim to historic plane wreck

Hikers on Aiea Loop Trail now have extra difficulty spotting the remains of a World War II B-24 bomber because of fallen trees covering its wreckage.

A landslide destroyed a tree and sign that marked the spot in 2007 and a granite plaque was placed at the trailhead the following year by the Hawaii Aviation Preservation Society. Pilot 2nd Lt. W.R. Kimble and nine crew members were killed in the crash on May 5, 1944.

The state Parks Division, which has jurisdiction over the trail, will be sending a crew to the site next month for routine maintenance. Clearing away the vegetation is a good idea. However informal, the plane wreckage and the tragic story behind it have become a cherished local landmark.