Maui Electric moves forward on renewable energy procurement efforts for Molokai, Lanai
Company incorporates community feedback into plans
Release Date: 8/9/2019
KAHULUI, August 9, 2019 – The plans for Maui Electric Company’s renewable energy push for Molokai and Lanai are available for viewing online at www.hawaiianelectric.com/molokaicompetitivebidding and www.hawaiianelectric.com/lanaicompetitivebidding.
Upon approval by the Public Utilities Commission, anticipated later this year, these renewable energy procurements will be open to bids from developers locally and globally. Pending approval, the first projects could come online as early as 2022.
Estimated targets of the new renewable generation for Molokai are the equivalent of approximately 4 megawatts (MW) of solar or 3.6 MW of small wind, specified as turbines 100 kilowatts or less, and paired with energy storage. A portion of the Maui Electric-owned Molokai property at Palaau is also being offered to proposers as a potential development site.
On Lanai, the company is seeking renewable energy generation equivalent up to 9.5 MW of solar paired with energy storage on land owned by Pulama Lanai.
Development of the plans involved participation from the Molokai and Lanai communities. This included community meetings where the company explained the request for proposal process and provided opportunities for residents to submit written comments and concerns for developers to be aware of when preparing their proposals.
Feedback received from Molokai and Lanai residents from additional past community outreach efforts have also been incorporated in the plans, such as limiting the type of renewable energy technologies being sought in the respective procurement efforts.
“We put together competitive bidding plans where we proactively asked for community feedback on reaching a clean energy future for their islands,” said Sharon Suzuki, president of Maui Electric. “Working together with our communities is critical to the success of bringing stabilized, lower cost renewable energy to all of our customers and reducing our state’s overall imported fossil fuel dependency.”
The procurement efforts for Molokai and Lanai are part of the Hawaiian Electric Companies largest-ever renewable energy push for Maui County, Oahu and Hawaii Island.
