Whew, it’s been a big year for energy in the Islands—big enough
that it’s risky to pick just 10 of the biggest Hawai`i energy
stories of 2015.
But we’re not shrinking violets at RaisingIslands, so with
the caveat that folks can disagree, here we go.
Number One: The top energy story of the year is certainly
the controversial proposal by the Florida electric behemoth NextEra Energy to
merge with Hawaiian Electric Industries, the corporation that includes Hawaiian
Electric, Maui Electric and Hawaii Electric Light. The merger was announced in
December 2014 and the PUC docket seeking approval on January 14, 2015.
It seems like every community group in the state asks to
intervene in the HECO/NextEra. The PUC approves 28 intervenors, among them the
Renewable Energy Action Coalition of Hawaii, Hawaii Island Energy Cooperative,
Kauai Island Utility Cooperative, Hawaii Water Service Co., Ka Lei Maile Alii
Hawaiian Civic Club, Maui County, Sun Edison, Hawaii Solar Energy Association,
Friends of Lanai, Puna Pono Alliance, Hawaii County, Ulupono Initiative, AES
Hawaii, Blue Planet Foundation, SunPower Corp., Tawhiri Power, Hawaii PV
Coalition, Paniolo Power, The Gas Co., Hawaii Renewable Energy Alliance, the
state Office of Planning, Sierra Club, Hina Power Corp. and the Honolulu Board
of Water Supply. Those, and a few others. Some have since dropped out, but
still…
2. The state announces that its goal is for Hawai`i to be100 percent powered by renewable energy by 2045, although it is something of a
theoretical standard. Under the language of the commitment, the state could
meet the 100 percent standard and still burn some oil.
3. Gov. David Ige announces in August that he’s against Hawaiian utilities using liquefied natural gas (LNG) to replace oil and coal
for energy production, arguing that it would detract from the state’s movement
toward renewable energy solutions.
4. The Kaua`i Island Utility Cooperative dedicates the state’s largest to date solar array, at Anahola, Kaua`i, which replaces the previous largest
array at Koloa, also on Kaua`i, which in turn replaced the next previous
largest array, also on Kaua`i. KIUC has more solar power per customer on its
grid than any other utility in the country. On sunny days, most of the island’s
electricity is generated by solar.
5. It’s not purely a Hawai`i story, but the federal
government’s extension of renewable energy tax credits means Hawai`i’s solar and
wind industries get a big boost—federal tax credits stay at 30 percent through
2019.
6. NextEra/HECO merger announcement prompts neighbor island utility
self-determination proposals: Hawai`i Island Energy Cooperative is formed in hopes of capturing Hawaii Electric Light
if it becomes available ;
and Maui Mayor Alan Arakawa studies a municipal power utility for Maui County.
7. The Department of Hawaiian Home Lands announced a
contract with NextEra affiliate Boulevard Associates LLC for a 60-megawatt wind farm at Kahikinui on Maui, which
is a little smaller than the state;s biggest, the 69 megawatt Kawailoa wind farm on O`ahu. But if
built, the Kahikinui windfarm would make Maui the wind capitol of the Islands, adding to the 51
megs of wind power at Kaheawa and 21 megs at Auwahi.
8. KIUC announced plans with Solar City to build the biggest dispatchable solar/battery plant in the nation: a 13-megawatt solar array with
a 52-megawatt-hour battery.
9. Continuing on the battery front, Tetris owner Henk
Rogers, through his company Blue Planet Energy, starts selling Sony’s lithium
ion phosphate battery technology along with Blue Planet’s own software suite,
under the name Blue Ion. And several other vendors are also marketing battery systems for solar arrays.
10. Finally, solar development rolls on. The PUC approved nearly140 megawatts of new solar for O`ahu. Three projects are by Sun Edison and one
by Eurus Energy. These, if built, will finally knock Kaua`i out of first place
in the biggest-solar-farm category, since each of these plants is bigger than
the biggest one on Kaua`i.
(Full disclosure: This blog’s author, Jan TenBruggencate, serves on the elected board of directors of the Kaua`i
Island Utility Cooperative.)
© Jan TenBruggencate 2015
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