The city has pulled the plug on the Hawaiian Electric Co. wind-energy site near its Kahe Point power plant. And it's fortunate that the mayor made that call now, rather than string the utility and the community along in discussions that would have led nowhere.

That would have been an unproductive and expensive exercise. HECO estimates it would have cost $5 million to buy the land, with almost as much spent on studies and other basic costs. By then, HECO might have felt too vested in the project to be swayed by community concerns.

In Wai'anae, these concerns dealt with the placement of a bank of windmills, each about 380 feet tall, along a ridgeline endowed with cultural significance. Moreover, the neighboring Ko Olina resort was worried that the view would put off residents and hotel guests. Mufi Hannemann decided wisely against backing a project in a community where nobody seemed to want it.

Now HECO must pursue its alternative site at Kahuku, and seek support right away from North Shore residents as well as from the U.S. Army, which owns the land.

The Army seems open to talking about shared access, and that's good. The military plans to enlarge its already sizeable footprint on the Islands through programs such as the Stryker brigade. Cooperation in a venture that could benefit the Islands by producing renewable energy would be welcome at this point.

HECO executives hope the community will be more receptive, too. Kahuku already has lived with turbines during experimental wind-energy development 20 years ago. Also, the Ko'olau ridgeline location is set further back from the coastal neighborhoods.

The utility has avoided an ugly upheaval in Wai'anae, applying a lesson learned in the Wa'ahila Ridge transmission-line controversy. It wisely has moved community consultation far up on its protocol list. That process should begin again — this time, in Kahuku.