New solar and battery power systems come on line on three islands, including Maui

The 60-megawatt Kūihelani Solar-Plus-Storage battery storage project is among seven projects to complete the first stage of grid-scale energy systems brought online on Maui, Oʻahu and Hawaiʻi Island, according to Hawaiian Electric.

Collectively, these seven projects added 260 megawatts of renewable energy and 1,038 megawatt-hours of energy storage, the utility said.

“Even as national energy priorities shift, Hawai‘i remains committed to renewable energy because it makes sense for our state and for our customers and this marks a significant milestone. We all want to see that momentum continue to protect our environment, enhance resilience, and make energy more affordable,” said Rebecca Dayhuff Matsushima, Hawaiian Electric vice president of resource procurement.

The largest project is Hoʻohana Solar, a 52-megawatt solar project with a 208 megawatt hours of battery energy storage. It is located at Kunia, Oʻahu and was developed by 174 Power Global.

The other five projects are:

• AES West Oʻahu Solar: 12.5-megawatt solar, 50-megawatt battery storage.
• Mililani 1 Solar (Oʻahu): 39-megawatt solar, 156-megawatt battery storage.
• Waiawa Solar Power (Oʻahu): 36-megawatt solar, 144-megawatt battery storage.
• AES Waikoloa Solar (Hawaiʻi Island): 30-megawatt solar, 120-megawatt battery storage.
• Hale Kuawehi (Hawaiʻi): 30-megawatt solar, 120-megawatt battery storage.

Procurement for this first stage of projects started in 2018, but there were construction delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic and global supply chain issues. Hawaiian Electric initiated a second stage of project procurements in 2019 and a third stage in 2022.

To date, Hawaiian Electric has reached 36% renewable energy across O’ahu, Maui County and Hawaiʻi Island and reduced its use of oil for power generation by 57 million gallons annually.