Waikā Consulting said the agency’s involvement would lead to economic returns for Native Hawaiians, but it faced pushback from local communities on the Big Island.

A geothermal consulting firm that came under fire earlier this year during taxpayer-funded outreach efforts on the Big Island is asking the Office of Hawaiian Affairs for a $5 million investment in exchange for a stake in a future $275 million geothermal plant.

Principals and contractors for Waikā Consulting made their case to the OHA Board of Trustees on Thursday. The presentation indicated that the company would also seek $20 million from the Legislature next session.

The last geothermal investment by OHA in 2013, which also involved people related to Waikā, was a flop after Hawaiian Electric Co. rejected the project’s bid.

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