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NextEra Energy Inc., the company looking to buy Hawaiian Electric Industries Inc., said it is not committed to developing energy projects in Hawaii if its purchase of HEI falls through.
The Juno Beach, Fla.-based company made the statement in a filing with the Public Utilities Commission on Thursday.
The filing was a response to a question from HINA Power Corp., a Maui-based renewable energy company.
"The question appears to assume that in the event the merger were not consummated, NextEra Energy would continue to pursue renewable energy development in the state of Hawaii, but NextEra Energy has made no such commitment," NextEra said in the filing.
In an information request, HINA asked NextEra whether it would be better for NextEra and Hawaii if the energy company developed large-scale renewable projects rather than own the electric utility.
HINA is one of 29 groups the PUC approved to be part of the regulatory review process of the $4.3 billion sale of HEI to NextEra.
HEI is the parent company of Hawaiian Electric Co. on Oahu, Hawaii Electric Light Co. on Hawaii island and Maui Electric Co.
The purchase needs the approval of the PUC. Randy Iwase, PUC chairman, has said he hopes to have a final decision on the sale by June 2016.
