#PUC Hawaii

Hawaiian Electric filed its “Integrated Grid Plan: A pathway to a clean energy future” with the Public Utilities Commission, outlining steps the company will take in the coming years to ensure its system will achieve net zero carbon emissions and use 100% renewable resources by 2045.

The project will be situated on 73 acres of land owned by Pūlama Lāna‘i, adjacent to Hawaiian Electric’s Miki Basin facilities along Miki Road and is expected to come online in late 2024.

Hawaiian Electric says adding distributed battery storage on the island will help the company improve near-term energy reserve margins in advance of the future retirement of the Kahului Power Plant.

Public Utilities Commission chairman James Griffin has informed Gov. David Ige that he will be stepping down from the PUC at the end of his term, which expires on June 30, 2022.

Submitted last year and estimated to cost approximately $38.8 million, the upgrades are part of the company’s plans to reduce its overall carbon footprint by 70% by 2030 when compared to 2005 levels and to achieve a renewable portfolio standard of 100% by 2045.

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 appeal challenged the Public Utilities Commission and its denial of a request to intervene in a case involving a proposed agreement by Maui Electric Company to buy power from the former Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar plantation’s coal-fired power plant.

Maui Electric envisions achieving 100% renewable energy on Moloka‘i by 2020, on Lānaʻi by 2030 and on Maui by 2040.

Company representatives say that as of Oct. 28, 508 customers had enrolled, representing about 10% of the total enrollment allowed across the state.

Company representatives say the Big Island of Hawai‘i led the state with 48.7 percent of customer electricity use coming from renewable resources in 2015.

The Hawaiian Electric Companies on Tuesday submitted an interim status report on plans for a diverse mix of energy resources to meet the state’s 100 percent Renewable Portfolio Standard by 2045.

The Hawaiian Electric Companies have asked the Hawai‘i Public Utilities Commission to approve discount electric vehicle charging rates in a new time-of-use program.

The company provided recommendations to the Hawai‘i Public Utilities Commission this week that proposed new customer options and programs to support continued growth of rooftop photovoltaic systems in Hawai‘i.

Hawaiian Electric Industries Inc. said today that its shareholders have approved the merger agreement with NextEra Energy Inc. announced Dec. 3, 2014. Approximately 90 percent of shares voted were in favor of the proposed merger.

The board of directors at Hawaiian Electric Industries Inc. sustained a quarterly cash dividend of 31 cents per share as of Feb. 10, 2015. The dividends are payable Mar. 10, 2015, and to shareholders of record at the close of business on Feb. 24, 2015. The share is equal to an annual rate of $1.24 per share.

The Hawaiʻi Public Utilities Commission has approved of a request to extend discount rates for another year to customers charging Electrical Vehicles during off-peak hours.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has approved the delivery of Liquefied Natural Gas to the state. Approvals are still required from the Hawai’i Public Utilities Commission.

Under the PUC decision, a 1.5% increase, or $4.7 million in annual revenues was finalized, effective May 4, 2012. Company officials say the amount has already been reflected in electric bills since August 2010, when the PUC approved an interim increase.

Prior to his appointment, Champley worked as a Maui-based senior energy consultant, focused on clean energy resource integration in Hawai’i.

The rules are expected to ease the way for more distributed renewable energy generation like rooftop solar panels.