| Hawaiian Electric Stage 1 and 2 Renewable Energy Projects

Hawaiian Electric Stage 1 and 2 Renewable Energy Projects

Opportunities to Provide Input and Learn More About the Projects

HSEO seeks to post public input opportunities for each project as they are announced.

Project	Location	Developer	Date / Time	Event / Opportunity to Comment	Learn About the Project
AES Mountain View Solar	Waianae	AES	Open	Email: [email protected]	AES Mountain View website
AES Mountain View Solar	Waianae	AES	Wednesday, May 19, 2021 / 6:00pm	Virtual Community Meeting	Visit bit.ly/MVSCommunity or email [email protected] to register

In 2015, Hawaii enacted a law that requires Hawaii’s electric utility companies to sell only (100%) renewable energy to their customers by 2045 (Act 97) — the first such mandate in the United States complicated by fact that Hawaii cannot import electricity from other states. All of Hawaii’s renewable energy must be generated in state. The island of Kauai is powered by a utility cooperative owned by Kauai energy users, the Kauai Island Utility Cooperative (KIUC), which achieved 56% renewable energy generation in 2019. The islands of Oahu, Molokai, Lanai, Maui, and Hawaii are powered by a shareholder-owned public utility, Hawaiian Electric, which achieved a collective 34.5% renewable energy generation in 2020: 30.5% on Oahu, 50.8 in Maui County, and 43.4% on Hawaii island. The island of Oahu consumed about 72% of Hawaii’s total electricity demand in 2020.

Hawaii’s fossil fuel power plants have provided reliable electricity to Hawaii residents for decades, but they are old, inefficient, and rely on fossil fuels extracted and imported from other countries or states at prices that fluctuate constantly and are expected to increase in the future. Liquid fossil fuels are transported across the Pacific Ocean and offloaded in waters off Oahu before being refined, repackaged, and barged to other islands. This results in a tenuous energy situation that depends on factors outside Hawaii’s control, vessels of liquid fossil fuels moving throughout the Hawaiian islands regularly posing a huge marine environment risk, electric bills at more than twice any other state in the United States, and greenhouse gas emissions. Many solutions are needed to displace this significant amount of energy including use reductions (energy efficiency), widespread rooftop photovoltaic (PV) adoption, other customer-sited solutions, and utility-scale renewable energy projects.

Hawaiian Electric is seeking solutions to displace the significant and dated fossil fuel power plants currently serving Hawaii including: (1) by September 1, 2022, the 180-megawatt (MW) AES coal plant at Campbell Industrial Park on Oahu which is the state’s only coal-powered power plant and provides approximately 16% of Oahu’s electrical energy; and, (2) by the end of 2024, the 38 MW oil-fired Kahului power plant in Kahului owned and operated by Hawaiian Electric which provides approximately 15% of Maui island’s firm power generation capacity.

As a publicly owned utility, Hawaiian Electric is required by the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to competitively bid for new renewable energy generation it intends to buy and sell to its customers. In February 2018, Hawaiian Electric issued Stage 1 of its competitive solicitation for new renewable energy generation projects on Oahu, Maui, and Hawaii island. Stage 1 produced 8 utility-scale solar photovoltaic (PV) plus storage projects. In August 2019, Hawaiian Electric issued Stage 2 of its competitive solicitation for new renewable energy generation and standalone energy storage projects on Oahu, Maui, and Hawaii island. Stage 2 produced to date 9 utility-scale solar PV plus storage projects and 3 utility-scale standalone storage projects.

Click HERE or the Map to View a Map of the Stage 1 and 2 Projects

This website provides information and opportunities for public input on the 20 utility-scale renewable energy projects selected by Hawaiian Electric on Oahu (10 projects), Maui (6 projects), and Hawaii island (4 projects). Of the 20 total projects in both Stages, 18 would be built, owned, and operated by private developers. Hawaiian Electric would build, own, and operate the Waena and Keahole battery storage projects.

Each new utility-scale renewable energy project must be submitted to the PUC for review and decision Some of these projects have been approved by the PUC, others are under review. An individual PUC docket has been created for each utility-scale renewable energy project listed on this website. The PUC docket process is in open forum that allows for public comment at any time in the proceeding. In addition, each project must obtain the requisite federal, state, and county permits and approvals, many of which offer opportunity for public comment. HSEO’s Renewable Energy Projects Directory and Hawaiian Electric’s Renewable Project Status Board provide additional information on these projects and other utility-scale projects now under development or construction, approved by the PUC, or awaiting PUC approval throughout Hawaii.

Stage 1 Solar PV Plus Storage Projects (by Island and Estimated Completion Date)

Project Name	Island	Location	Developer	Capacity (Megawatts, Megawatt-hours)	Utility’s Renewable Energy (%)	Project Status	Estimated Completion Date	Tax Map Key(s)	PUC Docket	Information Links
AES West Oahu Solar	Oahu	Kapolei	AES	12.5 MWac + 50 MWh Storage	0.4	PUC Approved; Permitting	September 7, 2022	(1)9-2-002:007	2019-0050	AES West Oahu Solar
Mililani I Solar	Oahu	Mililani	Clearway Energy Group	39 MWac + 156 MWh Storage	1.2	PUC Approved; Permitting	November 1, 2022	(1)9-4-005:090, (1)9-4-005:092, (1)9-4-005:096, (1)9-4-005:091	2018-0434
Waiawa Solar Power	Oahu	Pearl City	Clearway Energy Group	36 MWac + 144 MWh Storage	1.2	PUC Approved; Permitting	December 1, 2022	(1)9-6-004:024	2018-0435
Hoohana Solar 1	Oahu	Kunia	174 Power Global, Hanwha Energy USA	52 MWac + 208 MWh Storage	1.4	PUC Approved; Permitting	August 31, 2023	(1)9-4-002:052	2018-0431
Paeahu Solar	Maui	Wailea	Innergex Renewable Energy	15 MWac + 60 MWh Storage	0.5	PUC Approved; Permitting	April 28, 2023	(2)2-1-008:001	2018-0433	Paeahu Solar
AES Kuihelani Solar	Maui	Waikapu	AES	60 MWac + 240 MWh Storage	1.9	PUC Approved; Permitting	October 27, 2023	(2)3-8-005:002, (2)3-8-006:003	2018-0436	AES Kuihelani Solar
AES Waikoloa Solar	Hawaii	Waikoloa	AES	30 MWac + 120 MWh Storage	0.8	PUC Approved; Permitting	November 3, 2022	(3)6-8-002:050	2018-0430	AES Waikoloa Solar
Hale Kuawehi Solar	Hawaii	Waimea	Innergex Renewable Energy, Paniolo Power	30 MWac + 120 MWh Storage	0.8	PUC Approved; Permitting	December 2, 2022	(3)6-7-001:025	2018-0432	Hale Kuawehi Solar

Stage 2 Solar PV Plus Storage Projects (by Island and Estimated Completion Date)

Project Name	Island	Location	Developer	Capacity (Megawatts, Megawatt-hours)	Utility’s Renewable Energy (%)	Project Status	Estimated Completion Date	Tax Map Key(s)	PUC Docket	Information Links
Kupehau Solar	Oahu	Kunia	174 Power Global, Hanwha Energy USA	60 MWac + 240 MWh (4 hr) Storage	1.3	PUC Approved; Permitting	May 31, 2022	(1)9-2-004:008	2020-0138	Kupehau Solar
AES Mountain View Solar	Oahu	Waianae	AES	7 MWac + 35 MWh Storage	0.3	PUC Approved; Permitting	May 17, 2023	(1)8-5-003:031, (1)8-5-003:032, (1)8-5-019:034	2020-0139	AES Mountain View Solar
Waiawa Phase 2 Solar	Oahu	Pearl City, Waipio Village	AES	30 MWac + 240 MWh Storage	1.2	PUC Approved; Permitting	October 30, 2023	(1)9-6-004:024, (1)9-6-004:025, (1)9-6-004:026, (1)9-6-006:036	2020-0137	Waiawa Phase 2 Solar
Barbers Point Solar	Oahu	Kapolei	Innergex	15 MWac + 60 MWh Storage	0.4	Under PUC Review	December 29, 2023	(1)9-1-013:038, (1)9-1-013:040	2020-0143	Barbers Point Solar
Mahi Solar	Oahu	Kunia	Longroad Development	120 MWac + 480 MWh Storage	3.1	PUC Approved; Permitting	December 31, 2023	(1)9-2-001:001, (1)9-2-004:012, (1)9-2-004:006, (1)9-2-004:003, (1)9-2-004:010	2020-0140	Mahi Solar
Pulehu Solar	Maui	Pulehu	Longroad Development	40 MW + 160 MWh Storage	1.2	Under PUC Review	April 30, 2023	(2)2-5-001:003, (2)2-5-001:004, (2)2-2-002:016	2020-0141	Pulehu Solar
Kamaole Solar	Maui	Kihei	Kamaole Solar LLC (Potentia Renewables)	40 MWac + 160 MWh Storage	1.4	Under PUC Review	April 30, 2023	(2)2-2-002:001 (2)2-2-002:050	2021-0026	Kamaole Solar
Kahana Solar	Maui	Napili-Honokowai	Innergex	20 MWac + 80 MWh Storage	0.7	Under PUC Review	December 29, 2023	(2)4-3-001:017	2020-0142	Kahana Solar
Puako Solar PV + Battery Storage	Hawaii	Puako, South Point	ENGIE Development LLC	60 MWac + 240 MWh Storage	1.9	Under PUC Review	September 30, 2023	(3)6-8-001:024	2020-0189	Puako Solar PV + Battery Storage

Project information will be updated as information becomes publicly available.

Stage 2 Standalone Storage Projects

Project Name	Island	Location	Developer	Energy Storage Capacity (Megawatts, Megawatt-hours)	Utility’s Renewable Energy (%)	Project Status	Estimated Completion Date	Tax Map Key	PUC Docket	Information Links
Kapolei Energy Storage	Oahu	Kapolei	Plus Power	185 MW / 565 MWh	0.1	Under PUC Review	June 1, 2022	(1)9-1-014:042	2020-0136	Kapolei Energy Storage
Keahole Battery Energy Storage	Hawaii	Kailua-Kona	Hawaiian Electric Company, Inc.	12 MW / 12 MWh (1 hr)	N/A	Under PUC Review	December 30, 2022	(3)7-3-049:036	2020-0127	Keahole Project Summary HE Self-Build Projects
Waena Battery Energy Storage	Maui	Kahului	Hawaiian Electric Company, Inc.	40 MW / 160 MWh (4 hr)	0.2	Under PUC Review	April 28, 2023	(2)3-8-003:023	2020-0132	Waena Project Summary HE Self-Build Projects

Project information will be updated as information becomes publicly available.

Relevant Links:

Information published by HSEO for all projects comes from public sources of information only.