Wind energy is used to produce electricity in Hawaii, particularly on Maui and on the Big Island. On the island of Maui, Kaheawa Wind, owned and operated by First Wind, is a 30MW wind farm located in the West Maui Mountains high above Maui’s scenic shores. Kaheawa Wind operates in harmony with a range of native plant and animal species while providing clean, renewable power that currently meets 9% of Maui’s electrical needs.
On June 30, 2006, Shell WindEnergy Inc. announced plans to develop the 40 MW Auwahi Wind Project at Ulupalakua Ranch. The project may eventually also include pumped hydro storage, to store power from the wind turbines during off-peak periods for use during on-peak periods. Additional information is provided on the Shell Renewables website.
On the Big Island of Hawaii, where wind turbines have been producing electricity for many years, several wind energy projects are in operation. The original South Point wind farm has been turned off and fourteen new 1.5 Megawatt turbines have been installed at the Pakini Nui Wind Farm. The capacity of the new wind farm is 20.5 MW; start-up was in March of 2007. The project developer is Tawhiri Power, LLC.
A 10.5 Megawatt (MW) wind farm by Hawi Renewable Development is located at Upolu Point in North Kohala. It began producing power in 2006.
The Lalamilo Wind Farm, which was originally built in 1985, is still operating and is now owned by Hawaii Electric Light Company. The output of the wind farm has gradually been declining as the small Jacobs turbines — (39) 17.5 kW turbines and (81) 20 kW turbines, originally — have been wearing out. The capacity of the wind farm in 1995 was 2.3 MW. Capacity in 2006 was estimated at about 1.2 MW.
On the island of Kauai, the Kauai Electric Utility Cooperative has signed an agreement with UPC Kauai Wind Power for a project of between 10.5 and 15 MW.
In March, Governor Linda Lingle along with Castle & Cooke, First Wind Hawai‘i and Hawaiian Electric Company today announced an agreement that could lead to large wind farms on both Lana‘i and Moloka‘i providing clean energy to O‘ahu. These wind farms would feed into an inter-island cable system currently being discussed that could ultimately interconnect the major Hawaiian islands for increased grid reliability, security and consumer and business cost savings through access to renewables.
Castle & Cooke earlier announced plans to develop a 400 megawatt (MW) wind farm on Lana‘i. First Wind Hawai‘i, which built and operates the Kaheawa Wind Farm on Maui, has proposed a 300 to 400 MW wind farm on Moloka‘i.
Through this agreement, both wind farm developers have concurred to smaller initial projects, each up to 200 MW. The agreement clears the way for both projects to move ahead to negotiate contracts to sell their energy to Hawaiian Electric Company on O‘ahu.
