Naval Air Station Barbers Point, what is now known as Kalaeloa, was decommissioned and closed in 1999, but the transition to redevelopment has been halting. One problem, the outdated Navy electric grid, has complicated plans, and for the past several years solar-energy technology has been seen as a solution.

This week Meredith Berger, assistant secretary of the Navy, pledged $6 million in a partnership with Hawaiian Electric Co. aimed at such upgrades — a much-needed spark for Kalaeloa’s future.