Hawaiian Electric Co. officials say they hope to have four new renewable energy projects across Maui online by 2028 in what’s proving to be a challenging switch from fossil fuels to a grid powered by wind, solar and other clean energy sources on that island.
Those proposed projects at Maalaea, Pulehunui and Wanea remain in the early phases and still have key hurdles to clear, HECO officialsat a PUC-organized meeting on Maui last week. They still have to earn community buy-in, reach successful contract negotiations with the developers, and ultimately win approval from the Public Utilities Commission.
It also stands to lose 50 megawatts of capacity at its diesel-powered Maalaea plant in the coming years after its Japanese parts supplier informed HECO that the engines there are now obsolete and that HECO also looks to build a 20-megawatt solar and battery storage facility at Pulehunui and a 40-megawatt biofuel facility at Waena, Matsushima said Tuesday.
“I kind of wanted Lahaina to decide for Lahaina,” council member Gabe Johnson, who introduced the bill, said during Tuesday’s committee meeting. “If Lahaina wants it and we’ve got the political will to do it, I’m in full support of doing it that way as well.” It would also take longer to put the lines underground as part of rebuilding Lahaina than it would to put them overhead, HECO officials said. They didn’t say how much longer, however. Regardless of whether any of the new lines go underground, the company will “harden” the lines along key evacuation routes to avoid a repeat of what happened in Lahaina, they added.
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