Kaheawa Wind 1 seeks 20-year lease extension to continue operations above Māʻalaea

The operator of Maui’s oldest wind farm has completed a final environmental impact statement as part of its bid to keep its 20 turbines spinning above Māʻalaea for another two decades.

Kaheawa Wind Power LLC is seeking a new 25-year lease from the state Board of Land and Natural Resources to continue generating 30 megawatts of renewable energy at its Kaheawa Wind 1 facility. The project’s current land lease and power purchase agreement with Hawaiian Electric are set to expire in 2026.

If approved, the “continued use project” would allow the facility to operate through late 2046, followed by a two-year decommissioning and restoration period.

According to the final EIS, the applicant is not proposing any new construction or physical modifications to the existing wind farm. The project would use the 20 existing GE 1.5se wind turbines, which stand 296 feet tall at the blade tip, along with the existing substation and operations building located in the Kaheawa Pastures area of the West Maui Mountains.

Impact on state lands and wildlife

The wind farm sits on state conservation land. Because the project involves state lands and conservation districts, it triggers a mandatory environmental review. The final EIS is pending acceptance by the state Land Board.

A primary focus of the environmental review is the impact on protected species. The applicant is preparing a Habitat Conservation Plan to apply for a federal incidental take permit and a state incidental take license.

The plan covers several endangered or threatened species known to frequent the area, including the nēnē (Hawaiian goose), ʻōpeʻapeʻa (Hawaiian hoary bat), ʻuaʻu (Hawaiian petrel), and the assimulans yellow-faced bee.

The final EIS outlines anticipated “take” levels — wildlife fatalities caused by collision with turbines or other infrastructure — over the next 20.5 years. The applicant estimates a potential take of up to 69 Nēnē and 38 Hawaiian hoary bats during the extended operational period.

To offset these impacts, Kaheawa Wind 1 has proposed various mitigation efforts, including:

• Nēnē: Funding release pens and predator control at Haleakalā Ranch and Puʻu o Hōkū Ranch on Moloka‘i.
• Bats: Land restoration and habitat protection projects on Moloka‘i, Lāna‘i, or Maui.
• Seabirds: Predator trapping and fencing at sites such as Makamakaʻole in West Maui and locations on Lāna‘i.

Maintenance and community benefits

While no new turbines will be built, the project includes an initial 6- to 9-month maintenance period scheduled for 2026. Work will involve refurbishing turbine components, such as nacelles and generators, and minor grading of turbine pads to accommodate maintenance cranes.

The applicant noted that in response to public comments, it reduced its “limits of disturbance” for maintenance activities from 58 acres in the draft plan to 40 acres in the final plan to better protect yellow-faced bee habitat.

As part of its proposal, Kaheawa Wind 1 has committed to a community benefits package valued at $300,000 per year, totaling $6 million over the 20-year term. The applicant stated it intends to partner with local nonprofits to administer these funds.

Next steps

The project requires multiple government approvals to proceed, including:

• Board of Land and Natural Resources: Acceptance of the final EIS, approval of the Habitat Conservation Plan, and issuance of a new land lease.
• Public Utilities Commission: Approval of the new power purchase agreement.
• US Fish and Wildlife Service: Issuance of an incidental take permit.

The current timeline anticipates the new power agreement taking effect in late 2026.

Kaheawa Wind 1 is separate from the adjacent Kaheawa Wind 2 facility, which operates under its own lease and permits. However, the two projects share some infrastructure, including the operations building and access roads. The project consultant is Tetra Tech of Honolulu.