First large renewable project set for Molokai

Maui Electric Co. said Tuesday it has agreed to buy electricity from a grid-scale solar and battery energy storage facility to be built by Molokai New Energy Partners.

If approved by the state Public Utilities Commission, the 2.7-megawatt project is expected to be in service by the end of 2019 and could lower Molokai’s electrical bills. It would be the island’s first large-scale solar facility and would include a 3-megawatt battery energy storage system.

The project would provide savings to the island’s 3,200 customers every year of the life of the 22-year contract with the application of a federal New Markets Tax Credit provided by Punawai ‘o Pu‘uhonua, a Hawai‘i-based Community Development Entity. The project would provide energy from its solar array and battery at a rate of about 17 cents per kilowatt-hour, less than the present cost of diesel generation.

The project would be on land owned by Molokai Ranch adjacent to Maui Electric’s Palaau Power Plant.

Hawaiian Airlines passenger traffic up 4.3%

Hawaiian Airlines’ passenger traffic rose 4.3 percent in January from the year-earlier period as the company expanded its number of flights.

The state’s largest carrier said Tuesday it transported 972,672 last month compared with 932,157 in January 2017. Its load factor, or percentage of seats filled, edged up 0.2 percentage points to 84.1 percent from 83.9 percent.

Revenue passenger miles, or one paying passenger transported one mile, rose 2.6 percent to 1.37 million from 1.33 million. Available seat miles, or one seat transported one mile, gained 2.3 percent to 1.63 million from 1.59 million.

Development firm buys OliverMcMillan

Two big housing development firms active in Hawaii have combined forces.

Canadian-based Brookfield Residential Properties Inc. announced Tuesday that it has acquired San Diego-based OliverMcMillan.

Financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

Brookfield said its acquisition gives the company a business focused on mixed-use property development in urban centers.

OliverMcMillan has developed two condominium towers in Kakaako: Pacific Honolulu and Symphony Honolulu. The company also is working on developing 500 rental apartments in Waikiki, mainly in one tower.

Brookfield has developed homes at Ko Olina Resort & Marina on Oahu and also has built residential projects on Kauai and Hawaii island.

ON THE MOVE

Bowers + Kubota (B+K), a 100 percent employee-owned kamaaina architectural/engineering firm based in Hawaii, has hired the following people:

Jamie Hashimoto as project specialist; Milton Haitsuka, construction manager; Frederick Bulla, project engineer; Richard Bass, project manager; Harry Lovell, construction manager; and Pete Riofta, project inspector.