MEO’s new fueling station is blessed

Maui Economic Opportunity and Hawaii Petroleum officials on Monday blessed a new gasoline and diesel fuel station that is expected to save MEO about $14,000 per year.

Hawaii Petroleum built the new $180,000 station for MEO at the nonprofit’s transportation baseyard in Puunene. The station will go into service Thursday, with MEO paying for the gas and diesel that it uses, as it has in the past. Over time the nonprofit will assume ownership of the station, which includes a steel tank within a tank for safety purposes.

“MEO is so grateful for the gift of a fueling station by Hawaii Petroleum,” Gay Sibonga, chief operating officer of the 56-year-old nonprofit, said in a news release Tuesday. “The brand new fueling station is a benefit to MEO and its clients, as well as the environment with a reduction in fossil fuel use and reduced wear and tear and congestion on Maui County roads.”

The 8,000-gallon tank — partitioned for 2,000 gallons of diesel and 6,000 gallons of unleaded 87 gasoline — offers about a one-month supply for MEO buses and vehicles on Maui. MEO’s fleet of 96 vehicles, including some on Molokai and Lanai, currently uses 8,700 gallons of fuel per month — 8,000 gallons of unleaded gas and 700 gallons of diesel.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, MEO fuel consumption was 14,000 gallons of gas and 1,300 gallons of diesel per month.

The new station is expected to save MEO about $14,000 per year in “deadhead” travel costs between the baseyard and the Hawaii Fueling Network station in Kahului about 2 miles away, where buses are currently fueling up, MEO Transportation Director Harry Johnson said.

Hawaii Fueling Network is a brand name for Hawaii Petroleum’s commercial fueling network. Other company brands are Ohana Fuels and Minit Stop.

“At Hawaii Petroleum, we are thankful and honored to partner with MEO on their new on-site fueling facility,” said Hawaii Petroleum President Kimo Haynes, who attended the blessing. “MEO provides critical services for the community of Maui, and this was a wonderful opportunity for Hawaii Petroleum to help MEO improve their operational efficiencies and safety.”

For more information on Hawaii Petroleum, which operates on Maui and Hawaii island, visit hawaiipetroleum .com.

For more information about MEO and its services, visit meoinc.org or call 2492990.

Photos courtesy of MEO Pastor Hau‘oli Tomoso blesses a new fueling station at Maui Economic Opportunity’s Puunene baseyard on Monday. Appearing at the blessing (clockwise from Tomoso) are: Harry Johnson, Gay Sibonga and Don Medeiros of MEO; Steve Wetter and Kimo Haynes, president, Hawaii Petroleum; Bard Peterson, MEO board president; and Anstin Rodrigues and Matt Mitchell, Hawaii Petroleum.

MEO Transportation Director Harry Johnson and MEO driver Terrence Shirai test out a new fueling station on the grounds of the MEO transportation baseyard in Puunene on Monday.