Hawaiian Electric sends six more Oahu solar contracts to Public Utilities Commission for approval
News Release from HECO
HONOLULU, December 5, 2014 – Hawaiian Electric Company has submitted applications for approval of six power purchase agreements for independently-owned solar facilities totaling 207 megawatts to the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission (PUC).
“Our companies have never before signed agreements for this much new renewable energy at one time,” said Shelee Kimura, Hawaiian Electric vice president for corporate planning and business development. “This is a significant step toward transforming the generation portfolio on Oahu to achieve our aggressive, low-cost clean energy goals we put forth to the PUC in August."
The projects are part of Hawaiian Electric Companies energy plans that aim to lower electric bills and give customers more service options, nearly triple the amount of distributed solar while achieving the goal of 65 percent renewable energy by 2030. The new projects include:
| Project Name |
Location |
Developer |
Megawatts |
| Hoohana Solar |
Waipahu/Kunia off Plantation Road |
FCHQC Development LLC |
19 |
| Kawailoa Solar |
Waialua (at existing wind farm) |
First Wind |
49 |
| Lanikuhana Solar |
Mililani |
First Wind |
15 |
| Waianae Solar |
Waianae, off Ala Akau St. |
Eurus Energy America |
28 |
| Waiawa PV |
Waipio |
First Wind |
46 |
| Waiawa Solar |
East of H-2/Ka Uka interchange |
Sun Edison |
50 |
With the application submitted in October for the 15-MW Ka La Nui Solar project planned in Waianae by NextEra Energy Resources, new, utility-scale solar projects proposed for Oahu total 222 MW. That will be a significant addition to Oahu’s present generation capacity of 1800 MW plus more than 260 MW of customer-sited rooftop solar.
The average price of the seven new solar projects is 14 cents per kilowatt-hour. All are below the avoided cost of fossil-fuel generation.
The developers of these projects responded to Hawaiian Electric’s Invitation for Low Cost Renewable Energy Projects on Oahu through Request for Waiver from Competitive Bidding, issued on February 22, 2013. The PUC approved Hawaiian Electric’s request to negotiate with responding project developers outside of the lengthier competitive bidding process.
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