Hawaii Public Utilities Commission approves Kaawanui Solar project
The Hawaii Public Utilities Commission (PUC) has given its stamp of approval for the Kaawanui Solar and energy storage project on Kaua’i, advancing the island’s efforts toward 100% renewable generation.
Spearheaded by AES Hawai’i, the Kaawanui Solar project includes a 43 MW solar array and four hours of battery storage capacity. In total, the battery can store up to 172 MWh of electricity to be used during non-solar periods.
David Bissell, president and CEO of the Kaua‘i Island Utility Cooperative (KIUC), says once the project is energized, it would power the equivalent to 16,000 homes per year. That would account for 17.5% of the island’s total energy needs, and would offset more than 179 million gallons of fossil fuel over the course of 25 years — good for avoiding about 2.3 million metric tons of carbon emissions.
Bissell adds that the storage aspect of the new project is the key to reaching Kaua’i’s renewable generation goals.
“KIUC routinely operates at 100% renewable on sunny days,” Bissell says. “Our main challenge in reaching the state’s mandate of 100% renewable by 2045 is eliminating our fossil fuel use during non-solar periods. Projects like this are critical to reaching that goal.”
AES is proud to continue the partnership, according to Nick Molinari, the company’s senior director of development. He called the approval “a significant milestone” for both AES and KIUC in their pursuit of renewable energy generation across the island, which is a byproduct of their years-long partnership.
Connecting Kaawanui into the grid
The proposed project will be AES and KIUC’s third in the Rainbow State, officials say, with the two’s partnership stretching back to 2019 and the Lāwa‘i Solar + Storage Project. At the time, that project was the largest operation solar and storage system on the planet. Two years later, AES, KIUC, and the U.S. Navy partnered for the Kekaha Solar + Storage project, also known as the AES PMRF Project.
The project’s interconnection to the wider Hawai’ian grid will require a new switchyard, which will be constructed next to the Kaawanui solar field itself. This new structure will allow KIUC to decommission both its Kaumakani and Kekaha electrical substations and replace them with a singular site.
The electrical generation and climate-related benefits of the Kaawanui Solar project speak for themselves, but the project’s construction brings about a slew of other perks, representatives say. The project is set to provide an estimated $365 million in savings to KIUC through a power purchase agreement with AES, saving residential customers up to $21.08 per month during its 25-year usage period.
Additionally, the project’s blueprints include a component of “compatible agriculture.” AES hopes to partner with a local company with expertise in land stewardship, ranching, and sustainable practices for agricultural colocation.
“KIUC has set and continues to meet aggressive renewable energy goals well ahead of state-mandated targets, and at a pace that leads the state in reaching the ultimate goal of 100% renewable,” says Hawai’i State Senate president Ron Kouchi. “I am very pleased that the PUC and the Consumer Advocate have worked with KIUC to issue a timely approval, so the project can be completed in a way that will bring maximum benefit to the cooperative’s members while also supporting our agricultural goals for Kaua’i.”
