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Marine Affairs Coordinator John C. Craven outlined ambitious plans for NELH, including the first proposal for an Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) test facility. The Research Corporation of the University of Hawaiʻi (RCUH) was selected to provide management, and a six-person Board of Directors and three-person staff were appointed. Throughout the year, discussions with the federal Energy Research and Development Administration (ERDA) advanced, and by July an OTEC proposal with a $7.8 million budget request was submitted. Permits were also requested to install temporary power systems at Keahole Point.

Highlights:

OTEC (Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion) test facility proposal submitted
January: RCUH chosen to provide corporate structure and financial/management functions
February: Six-person Board of Directors appointed, representing State, County, and University of Hawaiʻi interests
April: Three-person staff appointed by the Board of Directors
April: Preliminary discussions of an OTEC project
May: Meetings with ERDA (Energy Research and Development Administration) indicate ERDA is responsive to proposals
June: Board of Directors authorizes the Scientific Director to coordinate efforts among a growing list of interested parties
July: OTEC proposal to ERDA is drafted. Total first-year budget request is $7,842,400
December: Permits requested for NELH to locate small diesel-electric generators at Keahole Point and a temporary power cable across the shoreline