Use of Wind Energy in Hawaii

The wind is used to produce electricity in Hawaii, particularly on Maui and on the Big Island. Most of the wind machines produce and sell electricity to local utilities.

MAUI

On Maui, the thirty megawatt (30 MW) Kaheawa Power Project broke ground in October of 2005 and began producing power in June, 2006. Additional information is provided on the local project website: www.kaheawa.com; the electric utility website: www.heco.com; and in news articles (see the Links section below). A ptential expaion of 27 MW is under consideration (mauinews.com).

On June 30, 2006, Shell WindEnergy Inc. (Shell) 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: www.shell.com and in news articles (see the Links section below).

BIG ISLAND

On the island of Hawaii (also known as "the Big Island"), 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. See articles in the Links section below.

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. Additional information is provided on the electric utility website: www.heco.com. From an article in West Hawaii Today: According to David Absher, Hawi Renewable Development's vice president, "Upolu Point is one of the best places in the U.S. to build a wind farm. The wind blows there 70 percent of the time." Also from the article: HELCO's contract with Hawi Renewable Development "will pay them what we would have paid to produce the same amount of power," according to Warren Lee, HELCO president. "That is, during peak hours (7 a.m. - 9 p.m.) they'll be paid 9.2 cents per kilowatt hour. During off - peak hours, they'll be paid 7.47 cents a kilowatt hour." The amount paid will fluctuate with the price of oil.

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. The quality of the power generated by the Lalamilo wind farm was enhanced by the installation of a demonstration "electronic shock absorber" (starbulletin.com) system in January 2006. Although the device was damaged by the October, 2006 earthquake, the design has been patented and the unit operated well during the demonstration.

KAUAI

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 (www.kiuc.coop).

LANAI

On the island of Lanai, Castle & Cooke has announced (honoluluadvertiser.com) that it will be investigating the feasibility of a 300 Megawatt wind farm on Lanai. An undersea cable (pacific.bizjournals.com) would bring the power to Oahu.

OAHU

Several areas on Oahu have been considered over the years as possible wind farm sites.  In the 1980's, early-generation wind turbines at Kahuku provided valuable information for future wind turbine siting and development, although the turbines stopped operating in the 1990's. The wind energy potential of the area remains significant; there was interest in possible development (honoluluadvertiser.com) and (starbulletin.com).  

A possible 39 MW project above the Kahe power plant (articles) is no longer under consideration.

Tax Incentives

The Federal "Wind Energy Production Tax Credit," enacted in 1992, provides a 1.9-cent per kilowatt-hour credit (adjusted periodically for inflation) for electricity produced from a wind farm during the first 10 years of its operation. The production tax credit has been extended through December 31, 2007. The American Wind Energy Association website (www.awea.org) has additional information.

State income tax credits for wind energy systems of 20 percent for the installed cost of wind energy systems (subject to limits) are available. See the Hawaii State Tax Credit Fact Sheet.

Reports and Data

Complete list of on-line publications
Current; includes reports on renewables in general, and renewable portfolio standards, which include wind.

Small Wind Electric Systems: A Hawaii Consumer's Guide
Produced for Hawaii consumers by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Booklet; 27 pages; PDF file; 1.4 Megabytes.

Decision and Order on net metering:
http://www.irecusa.org/index.php?id=30#hi

Wind research partnership between UPC and NREL:
http://www.nrel.gov/news/press/2008/579.html

Kahuku (Oahu) wind data request:
http://www.hawaiisenergyfuture.com/Images/Wind_Data_Press_Release.pdf

Wind maps and data

Hawaii Wind Working Group

The Hawaii Wind Working Group (http://www.hawaiiwind.us/) is a Hawaii-based organization with the following objectives:

• To provide a forum for information exchange among member organizations;
• To provide accurate, technically sound information on wind energy to the public and decisionmakers;
• To provide Hawaii organizations with access to Federal and other resources for the support of wind energy;
• To encourage the development of technically and economically feasible wind projects in an environmentally, socially, culturally, and aesthetically appropriate manner.

Hawaii Wind Working Group workshops and programs have received support from the Wind Powering America program of the U.S. Department of Energy.

Links

Wind Energy Information from the United States Department of Energy:

Information on Wind Energy:
http://www1.eere.energy.gov/windandhydro/wind_technologies.html

2006 Annual Report on U.S. Wind Power Installation, Cost, and Performance Trends: http://www1.eere.energy.gov/windandhydro/pdfs/41435.pdf (24 pages, 2.48 Mb)

Articles about the Pakini Nui Wind Farm being built by Tawhiri LLC at South Point:

Article at Star-Bulletin: http://starbulletin.com/2007/07/20/news/story11.html
Article at West Hawaii Today: www.westhawaiitoday.com; PDF: southpoint-wht.pdf
GE Press Release at www.geenergyfinancialservices.com; PDF: southpoint-ge.pdf
Article at Star-Bulletin: starbulletin.com; PDF: southpoint-starbulletin.pdf

July, 2006 articles about Shell Renewable's planned Auwahi Wind Farm at Ulupalakua Ranch on Maui:

Article at honoluluadvertiser.com; PDF file: auwahi.pdf (70 kb)
Article at mauinews.com; PDF file: auwahi-mauinews.pdf (15 kb)

June, 2006 article about Hawi Renewable Development wind farm at Upolo Point on the Big Island:

Article at star-bulletin.com;  PDF file: hawi.pdf (225 kb)

Articles about Kaheawa Wind Power at Maalaea on Maui:

Article at pacific.bizjournals.com; PDF file: kaheawa.pdf (24 kb)
Article at mauinews.com; PDF file: kaheawa-mauinews.pdf
Article at the.honoluluadvertiser.com; PDF file: kaheawa-advertiser.pdf
Article at starbulletin.com; PDF file: kaheawa-starbulletin.pdf.

List of Hawaii projects from the American Wind Energy Association website: http://www.awea.org/projects/hawaii.html

Wind Energy Data: http://www.hawaii.gov/dbedt/ert/winddata/