Hawaiian Electric will commence negotiations for contracts with the developers of 15 renewable energy projects on Oahu, Hawaii Island, and Maui, which will lower Hawaii’s reliance on imported oil for electricity generation substantially. A number of Oahu and Hawaii island projects make use of stable renewable energy sources, which can generate clean electricity even in the absence of wind or sunshine.
The projects, which are spread across Oahu, Hawaii Island, and Maui, are part of Hawaiian Electric’s most recent round of renewable energy procurements. Long-term contracts for roughly 517 MW of fluctuating generation, 654 MW of firm generation, and 2.1 GWh of storage are anticipated to result from the negotiations. A range of renewable energy resources and project design approaches are used in the proposals. The projects are expected to be completed between 2026 and 2033.
The projects include:
- Oahu: Three solar-plus-storage projects and four firm (biofuel) projects totaling 413 GWh of variable generation, 594 MW of firm generation, and 990 MWh of storage.
- Maui: Three solar-plus-storage projects and one wind project totaling approximately 324 GWh of variable generation, and 320 MWh of storage.
- Hawaii Island: Three solar-plus-storage projects and one firm (biofuel) project totaling 512 GWh of variable generation, 60 MW of firm generation, and 834 MWh of storage.
REGlobal’s Views: Islands have geographical constraints and face limitations in terms of setting up of large power projects with transmission systems. Thus, for islands renewable power plus storage projects are ideal as renewables help provide clean power and storage helps reduce dependency on diesel generators for back up. Hawaiian Electric serves 95 per cent of Hawaii’s residents on the islands of Oahu, Maui, Hawaii, Lanai and Molokai, and is retiring some of its older fossil fuel power plants in order to source green power.
