Forty Years of Innovation and Expansion
2014 marked NELHA’s 40th anniversary, and HOST Park entered a new phase of maturity and growth. Major capital projects reshaped the campus: nearly $12 million in state and federal support funded new pipelines, roads, and facilities. Renovation of the old Administration Building into a clean energy and biotechnology incubator began, creating a hub for future tenants.
Energy and infrastructure milestones included completion of a solar testbed, progress on microgrid and energy storage partnerships, and critical repairs to the 40-inch deep seawater pipeline—an engineering challenge completed ahead of schedule and under budget that won DBEDT’s “Team of the Year” award.
Economic impact surged. A UHERO study showed HOST Park businesses contributed $123 million to Hawai‘i’s economy, supported over 600 jobs, and generated $5 million in state tax revenue. International collaborations deepened through workshops with Japan and visits from GoogleX, Lockheed Martin, and U.S. national labs.
From Ironman aid stations to environmental stewardship through its 25-year monitoring program, NELHA strengthened its role as both a global testbed for ocean science and energy innovation, and a vital part of the West Hawai‘i community.
Highlights:
- NELHA celebrated 40 years since its founding in 1974.
- Nearly $12M in state and federal capital improvement funds for pipelines, pump stations, and roads.
- Design completed for clean energy and biotech incubator; construction launched with $3M EDA grant + $1M state funds.
- DOE/NREL solar energy testbed completed at Research Campus (35 kW).
- Strategic partnerships built with Sandia, PNNL, NREL, and LBNL; positioned HOST Park as a test site for energy storage.
- Pipeline infrastructure: major repair of 40” deep seawater line extended system life by 15–20 years; awarded DBEDT “Team of the Year.”
- UHERO study found HOST Park generated $123M in economic output, $5M in state taxes, and 617 jobs.
- Construction activity surged: $60M in new private investment since 2012, including Shrimp Improvement Systems expansion.
- Lease activity: 9 new agreements, 4 new tenants, 14 potential projects in review.
- Friends of NELHA hosted ~5,000 visitors; NELHA’s website logged nearly 50,000 page views.
- Hosted Ironman World Championship aid stations and community engagement.
- Environmental monitoring program marked 25 years of continuous data collection, confirming stable and pristine conditions.
- Staff updates: Dr. Alex Leonard joined as Administrative & Projects Manager; Dean Towle as Operations Engineer; longtime staff member Karin Haleamau retired.