On Monday evening local time, the Hawaii County Civil Defense agency announced that lava from nearby fissures had begun to encroach on the southern edge of one of the state’s key sources of power, the Puna Geothermal Venture.
The plant harvests hot liquid and steam from underground wells to drive turbine generators for electricity, which is then sold to the state’s largest utility. The plant provides roughly a quarter of the Big Island’s power, according to Reuters.