Video by David Corrigan, Voice of Stephanie Salazar

PUNA, Hawaii: Governor Neil Abercrombie was in town this weekend.

Among his stops, a special screening of the film “The Untold Story: Internment of Japanese Americans in Hawaii” at the Hawaii Japanese Center in Hilo…. also a visit to Bears Coffee with Senator Gil Kahele Downtown… and this visit to a Solar Farm Project off Pohoiki Road in Puna.

Aunty Mahealani Henry blessed the new array, and music was provided by Dewi Maile Lim and Friends.

Greenpower Solutions LLC designed the solar farm… its composed of 400 solar panels mounted on 9′ tall structures. The structures will act as a frame for a greenhouse and aquaponic food growing system. Electricity is produced from the plant and is sold to HELCO under a 20 year feed-in-tariff contract.

The farm is located in the heart of Hawaii’s geothermal industry, present and future. The governor has been supportive of the expansion of geothermal in the state, and most developers are eyeing the resource on Puna’s East Rift Zone. Residents, not so much. Some even planned to demonstrate during the governor’s stop in Puna, but that never materialized.

VIDEO: Full remarks by Governor Neil Abercrombie at the blessing of the Pohoiki PV Solar Farm. The governor stopped by during his visit to East Hawaii on March 23, 2013.