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Business Briefs
Star-Bulletin staff
and wire services
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Hawaii
U.S. geothermal energy use up
The number of new geothermal power projects under development nationally has increased 20 percent since January, a survey released yesterday by the Geothermal Energy Association shows.
The report identified 103 projects underway in Hawaii, Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming. When developed, these projects could provide nearly 4,000 megawatts of power, enough to meet the needs of 4 million homes.
Hawaii has 35 megawatts of geothermal capacity online on the Big Island, with another 8 megawatts under development.
Helicopter tour opens on Oahu
Blue Hawaiian Helicopters is opening operations on Oahu with three tours.
The company was founded 23 years ago and operates "ECO-Star" helicopters, which Blue Hawaiian says minimize noise heard on the ground by half.
The tours cover Waikiki, Honolulu and North Shore and Pearl Harbor and run between 15 minutes for $99 and 45 minutes for $229 a person.
Go! load factor fell in July
Interisland carrier
go! said yesterday it filled 70.4 percent of its seats in July compared with a load factor of 82.7 percent in the year-earlier period.
The number of passengers carried, however, increased 2.2 percent to 76,985 from 75,255 a year ago.
Its available seat miles, or one seat transported one mile, rose 19.8 percent to 15.7 million from 13.1 million while its revenue passenger miles, or one paying passenger transported one mile, were up 1.9 percent to 11 million versus 10.8 million a year ago.
Banking coalition collects food
Members of the Hawaii Bankers Association said they exceeded expectations during a recent food drive for the Hawaii Foodbank, collecting more than 13 tons and $24,000.
The annual food drive is made up of coalitions representing sectors of local business and government. The banking coalition ranked fourth out of 13 coalitions.
Sammy Hagar's opens in Maui
Sammy's Beach Bar & Grill, created by
HMSHostCorp. and Van Halen front man Sammy Hagar, will open in the Kahului International Airport on Wednesday.
It is the first airport location of Hagar's signature restaurant. Hagar will dedicate his profits from the restaurant to local community children's charities through the Hagar Family Foundation.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
POWERED UP: Above, Garry Lanoue talked with Jeannette Krutsinger about a golf cart she wanted to buy from his Ashkum-Ill. store in June. Illinois and 25 other states allow low-speed electric vehicles on local streets, or give towns the power to make that decision.
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NATION
Mortgage rates are mixed bag
WASHINGTON »
Freddie Mac, the mortgage company, reported that 30-year, fixed-rate mortgages averaged 6.52 percent for the week ending yesterday. That was the same as last week's rate, which marked the second-highest of the year. The highest -- 6.63 percent -- came the week ending July 24.
Meanwhile, rates on 15-year, fixed-rate mortgages, a popular choice for refinancing, rose to 6.10 percent this week, up from 6.07 percent last week.
Other rates, however, went down. Rates on five-year, adjustable-rate mortgages averaged 6.05 percent this week. That was down slightly from 6.07 percent last week. And, rates on one-year, adjustable-rate mortgages dipped to 5.22 percent, compared with 5.27 percent.
Oppenheimer's Michael Metz dies
NEW YORK » Michael Metz,
Oppenheimer Holdings Inc.'s chief investment strategist, has died, according to his wife. He was 79.
Metz started at the firm in 1969. He became investment strategist in 1990, retired in 2002 and then rejoined Oppenheimer in November 2003, according to a statement at the time. Metz started his career as an analyst with Standard & Poor's in 1959, Oppenheimer said.
BUSINESS PULSE
