At-a-Glance:
Hawaiian Electric (HECO), which has committed to 100 percent renewable energy by 2045, announced 16 new solar plus storage or standalone battery projects selected for procurement on the islands. HECO already is moving toward a 30 percent renewable energy generation portfolio by the end of the year. To learn more, read “HECO selects 16 solar-energy storage projects as part of 2020s renewables ramp-up.”
Key Takeaways:
- The utility’s Stage 2 plan includes sites due for completion by 2022 and 2023 for a total of 460 MW of solar energy and nearly 3 GWh of energy storage. The projects will be on Oahu, Maui and on Hawaii Island.
- HECO called its competitive evaluation the largest renewable energy procurement ever undertaken in Hawaii. Among the criteria for selection were price, location, technology and community engagement by the developer.
- Developers of these projects include Hanwha Energy, Bright Canyon, Onyx Development Group, Innergex, Longroad, AES, Engie and Pacific Green.
Path to 100% Perspective:
Hawaii is blazing the trail for 100% renewable energy. This announcement is a part of the recourse plan that was done by Ascend Analytics. Storage is just one of the main factors needed to reach the targets that are set. To learn more, read the study “Charting the course to 100% Renewables in Hawaii.”