Green light for 30MW wind power deal in Hawaii

May 14, 2010

Regulators have approved a 30-megawatt power purchase agreement for Hawaiian Electric Company to buy power from a wind farm being built on the north shore of Hawaii’s Oahu Island.

The Kahuku Wind Power project is being developed by a subsidiary of Boston, Massachusetts, company First Wind.

Once complete, the Kahuku project will be one of the largest wind farms in the state, and the only one on Oahu, the most populous of the Hawaiian islands.

Supported by a $117 million federal loan (see this BrighterEnergy.org story), construction is scheduled to begin later this year.

The power purchase agreement will stretch for 20 years, selling power as it is available for a pre-determined price.

“With long-term pricing de-linked from the cost of oil, this new source of renewable energy is a step toward breaking our vulnerability to the fluctuating price of oil and increasing our energy security,” said Hawaiian Electric President and CEO Dick Rosenblum.

Wind farm

The Kahuku wind farm will consist of 12 wind turbines made by US firm Clipper. Each of the “Liberty” turbines will have a rated output of 2.5MW.

The project will also use a battery energy storage system to help smooth out the fluctuations in wind energy output. Texan company Xtreme Power, Inc., is providing the battery system.

Its developers said it would have the capacity to generate 80,000 megawatt-hours of power each year, enough to supply 7,700 local homes.

“First Wind appreciates the opportunity to work with Hawaiian Electric and the people of Oahu to decrease Hawaii’s reliance on imported fossil fuels for its electricity needs. Kahuku Wind Power is an important step toward meeting Hawaii’s clean energy goals and First Wind is proud to be a part of this process,” said Paul Gaynor, CEO of First Wind.

“This will be a major addition to Oahu’s portfolio of renewable energy sources,” said Robbie Alm, Hawaiian Electric executive vice president. “First Wind brings demonstrated wind farm experience to this project and we welcome the opportunity to work with them to help meet the state’s goals of 70 percent clean energy by 2030.”

First Wind already owns and operates the 30 MW Kaheawa wind energy project above Ma’alaea, Maui, which provides up to 9 percent of the electricity distributed by Maui Electric Company.

Kahuku Wind Power will join Kaheawa as the state’s two largest wind energy projects.