Proposed solar farms could power 200,000 Hawaii homes

About a dozen solar farm developers are preparing to soon hold community meetings about plans that could power around 200,000 Hawaii homes with photovoltaic panels covering more than 3,000 acres on three islands.

The 12 projects were tentatively selected in May by local utility Hawaiian Electric through a competitive bidding process, and each developer is required to solicit public input.

Most of the meetings are scheduled over the next two weeks, mostly via videoconference.

The solar farms, all of which include battery systems for energy storage, are planned for sites in Waianae, Kapolei, Kalaeloa, Ewa Beach, Kunia and Waiawa on Oahu; Waikoloa and South Kohala on Hawaii island; and Kihei, Kahana and Pulehu on Maui.

Community engagement was a requirement Hawaiian Electric set as part of its request for proposals that it issued in August with a goal of increasing renewable energy generation in the state more than ever before.

“Even though these are all solar or low-profile storage projects, we know there’s increasing concern about the location of renewable energy projects,” Jim Alberts, Hawaiian Electric senior vice president for business development and strategic planning, said in a statement in May before details for each project were released.

“That’s why we say we need everyone working together — developers, government, communities and Hawaiian Electric — if we’re going to meet our clean energy goals,” he said.

The biggest project in the group, Mahi Solar, is being proposed in Kunia by Longroad Energy, a Boston-based firm established by leaders of First Wind Energy, with a 120-megawatt capacity capable of powering about 37,000 homes, or 4% of Oahu’s electricity need.

Mahi Solar is planned on 617 acres of agriculture land near Hawaii Country Club in Kunia largely owned by small farmers. Longroad said it plans to work with the Hawaii Farm Bureau and local farmers to find innovative agricultural uses between and under PV panels.

The project also includes an electrical substation and a 480- megawatt-hour battery system to store energy generated during the day for distribution at night.

Longroad said the project wouldn’t be close to residential areas, but would be visible along Kunia Road and from a distance.

The next three biggest projects each have a 60-megawatt capacity and 240-megawatt-hour battery systems. Two of these are slated for Hawaii island, and one on Oahu in Kunia.

The smallest proposed project, called Mehana Solar, has a 6.6-megawatt capacity and would be built on land next to Kalaeloa airport leased from the state Department of Hawaiian Home Lands by developer Onyx Development Group LLC.

Onyx, an affiliate of New York-based private equity firm Blackstone Group, said its plan calls for 21,800 PV panels that can power about 1,300 homes. The company also said it will donate 1% of annual gross revenue to DHHL for housing development in addition to land lease payments.

All 12 projects combined could deliver 500 megawatts of renewable energy that can be stored during the day for use at night.

Three stand-alone battery projects, including two proposed by Hawaiian Electric, also were selected through the competitive bidding process, which involved independent oversight to ensure fairness. These battery projects — one on Oahu, one on Hawaii island and one on Maui — also are required to seek public input.

All the projects are subject to approval by the state Public Utilities Commission.

Hawaiian Electric expects that the projects, if completed as planned between 2022 and 2023, will increase renewable energy production for utility grids by 7 percentage points.

The company expects to have about 30% renewable energy production at the end of this year, and has been mandated by the state to hit 100% by 2045.

GET INVOLVED

Virtual community meetings schedule

Solar farm projects

Oahu

>> Waiawa Phase 2 30 megawatts by AES Distributed Energy 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, waiawaphase2solar.com

>> Barbers Point Solar 15 megawatts by Innergex 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, 808ne.ws/2VECMDf

>> Kupono Solar (Ewa Beach) 42 megawatts by Bright Canyon Energy 5:30 p.m. Thursday, kuponosolar.com

>> Kupehau Solar (Kunia) 60 megawatts by 174 Power Global (Hanwha Energy USA) 5:30 p.m. Friday, kupehausolar.com

>> Mountain View Solar (Waianae) 7 megawatts by AES Distributed Energy 5:30 p.m. July 14, 808ne.ws/31xxtcF

>> Mahi Solar (Kunia) 120 megawatts by Longroad Energy 6 p.m. July 15, longroadenergy.com/mahi

>> Mehana Solar (Kalaeloa) 6.6 megawatts by Onyx Development Group 6 p.m. July 15, mehanasolar.com

Hawaii island

>> Waikoloa Village Solar 60 megawatts by EDF Renewables Development 5:30 p.m. July 13, 808ne.ws/3ipuXej

>> Puako Solar 60 megawatts by ENGIE Development Virtual meeting held in April. Comments accepted through Tuesday, 808ne.ws/3eUDzrh.

Maui

>> Kahana Solar 20 megawatts by Innergex 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, 808ne.ws/3eSiQ7j

>> Kamaole Solar (Kihei) 40 megawatts by Pacific Green Ikehu (SB Energy Corp.) 5:30 p.m. July 14, 808ne.ws/2A4XAML

>> Pulehu Solar 40 megawatts by Longroad Energy 6 p.m. July 13, longroadenergy.com/pulehu

BATTERY PROJECTS

Oahu

>> Kapolei Energy Storage 565 megawatt-hours by Energy Storage Resources 6 p.m. July 14, kapoleienergystorage.com

Hawaii island

>> Keahole Battery Energy Storage 12 megawatt-hours by Hawaiian Electric Co. Virtual meeting held in April.

Maui

>> Waena BESS (Kahului) 160 megawatt hours by Hawaiian Electric Co. Virtual meeting held in April.