Thursday, March 28, 2024
Hawai'i Free Press

Current Articles | Archives

Saturday, May 7, 2022
HECO RFP Seeks 'Renewable' Projects on Maui, Oahu
By News Release @ 1:51 AM :: 1770 Views :: Honolulu County, Maui County, Energy

Hawaiian Electric launches major push for next stage of renewable energy generation projects for Oahu, Maui

Proposals sought to boost clean energy transformation, grid reliability

News Release from HECO, 5/4/2022 

HONOLULU, May 4, 2022 - Hawaiian Electric has drafted requests for proposals (RFP) for potentially a broad array of renewable energy projects on Oahu and Maui that will enable the future retirement of generators that run on imported oil.

“Hawaiian Electric is excited to embark on this next round of renewable energy procurements, which seeks to enhance grid reliability and address climate change,” said Rebecca Dayhuff Matsushima, vice president of resource procurement for Hawaiian Electric. “We look forward to working with the community, our regulators and stakeholders to further refine the RFPs as we work together to replace fossil-fueled generation.”

Once the draft is approved by the Public Utilities Commission (PUC), the company will seek proposals for a variety of renewable energy and capacity resources on Oahu and Maui that includes but is not limited to wind, solar, biomass and biofuels. Standalone energy storage proposals also will be accepted.

This draft RFP is unique in that it includes firm renewable capacity for both islands. Firm renewable energy differs from intermittent resources such as solar and wind in that it is available at all times. While previous RFPs have focused exclusively on intermittent resources, this new procurement seeks to broaden the future generation mix to ensure the two islands have a diverse portfolio of generation resources.

For Oahu, Hawaiian Electric is seeking at least 475 gigawatt hours annually of variable renewable dispatchable energy to be in service by 2027. Dispatchable means the company controls when the resource is used – drawing energy from a battery storage system, for example. The company is also seeking 300 to 500 megawatts of renewable firm capacity to be in service by 2029, and 200 megawatts of renewable firm capacity to be in service by 2033.

For Maui, the company is seeking at least 180 gigawatt hours annually of renewable dispatchable energy and at least 40 megawatts of renewable firm capacity to be in service by 2027.

Hawaiian Electric will evaluate the proposals submitted in response to the Oahu and Maui RFPs to determine a final award group from which to begin contract negotiations.

Hawaiian Electric filed a draft of a renewable firm generation RFP specifically for Oahu in February. In order to streamline its procurement efforts, Hawaiian Electric has combined that RFP with a new RFP for renewable, dispatchable generation on Oahu.

Hawaiian Electric will host virtual public meetings to seek input on the draft RFP:

For Oahu, the meeting is 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 10. How to join:

Attend via Microsoft Teams at hawaiianelectric.com/communitymeetings
Tune in live on Hawaiian Electric’s Facebook page or live on Olelo 49

For Maui, the meeting is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 24.

Attend via Microsoft Teams at hawaiianelectric.com/communitymeetings
Tune in live on Hawaiian Electric’s Facebook page or live on Akaku channel 54

Participants are encouraged to ask questions and provide feedback during the meetings. Questions can be sent in advance to oahurenewablerfp@hawaiianelectric.com for Oahu and mauirenewablerfp@hawaiianelectric.com for Maui. Both virtual events will be recorded. For more information go to hawaiianelectric.com/communitymeetings.

In 2018, Hawaiian Electric began the first phase of Hawaii’s largest procurement effort for renewable energy resources to meet the state’s 100% renewable portfolio standard requirement. The second phase of procurement started in 2019 and was among the largest single renewable energy procurements undertaken by a U.S. utility.

From those first two phases of RFPs, nearly 600 megawatts and roughly 3 gigawatt hours per year of energy storage are in development and expected to be in service by 2024.

Upon approval from the PUC, this third stage of renewable energy procurement will be open to bids from energy developers locally and globally. Pending approval by the PUC, the first projects are expected to come online no later than the end of 2027. The proposed timeline for proposals, subject to regulatory approval, is:

Event  -- Date

  • Parties and Participants file Comments by June 2, 2022
  • Proposed Final RFP filed by July 18, 2022
  • Final RFP is issued August 31, 20221
  • IPP and Affiliate Proposal Due Date  December 1, 2022
  • Selection of Priority List March 17, 2023
  • IPP and Affiliate Best and Final Offers Due  April 4, 2023
  • Final Award Group Named  August 4, 2023
  • Contract negotiations begin  August 14, 2023

1 Dates in the proposed schedule are dependent on any further guidance provided by the PUC.

MN: Big push for renewable energy projects on Maui and Oahu begins  

Reality:

Links

TEXT "follow HawaiiFreePress" to 40404

Register to Vote

2aHawaii

808 Silent Majority

Aloha Pregnancy Care Center

AntiPlanner

Antonio Gramsci Reading List

A Place for Women in Waipio

Ballotpedia Hawaii

Broken Trust

Build More Hawaiian Homes Working Group

Christian Homeschoolers of Hawaii

Cliff Slater's Second Opinion

DVids Hawaii

FIRE

Fix Oahu!

Frontline: The Fixers

Genetic Literacy Project

Grassroot Institute

Habele.org

Hawaii Aquarium Fish Report

Hawaii Aviation Preservation Society

Hawaii Catholic TV

Hawaii Christian Coalition

Hawaii Cigar Association

Hawaii ConCon Info

Hawaii Debt Clock

Hawaii Defense Foundation

Hawaii Family Forum

Hawaii Farmers and Ranchers United

Hawaii Farmer's Daughter

Hawaii Federalist Society

Hawaii Federation of Republican Women

Hawaii History Blog

Hawaii Homeschool Association

Hawaii Jihadi Trial

Hawaii Legal News

Hawaii Legal Short-Term Rental Alliance

Hawaii Matters

Hawaii's Partnership for Appropriate & Compassionate Care

Hawaii Public Charter School Network

Hawaii Rifle Association

Hawaii Shippers Council

Hawaii Smokers Alliance

Hawaii State Data Lab

Hawaii Together

HIEC.Coop

HiFiCo

Hiram Fong Papers

Homeschool Legal Defense Hawaii

Honolulu Moms for Liberty

Honolulu Navy League

Honolulu Traffic

House Minority Blog

Imua TMT

Inouye-Kwock, NYT 1992

Inside the Nature Conservancy

Inverse Condemnation

Investigative Project on Terrorism

July 4 in Hawaii

Kakaako Cares

Keep Hawaii's Heroes

Land and Power in Hawaii

Legislative Committee Analysis Tool

Lessons in Firearm Education

Lingle Years

Managed Care Matters -- Hawaii

Malama Pregnancy Center of Maui

MentalIllnessPolicy.org

Military Home Educators' Network Oahu

Missile Defense Advocacy

MIS Veterans Hawaii

NAMI Hawaii

Natatorium.org

National Christian Foundation Hawaii

National Parents Org Hawaii

NFIB Hawaii News

No GMO Means No Aloha

Not Dead Yet, Hawaii

NRA-ILA Hawaii

Oahu Alternative Transport

Obookiah

OHA Lies

Opt Out Today

OurFutureHawaii.com

Patients Rights Council Hawaii

PEACE Hawaii

People vs Machine

Practical Policy Institute of Hawaii

Pritchett Cartoons

Pro-GMO Hawaii

P.U.E.O.

RailRipoff.com

Rental by Owner Awareness Assn

ReRoute the Rail

Research Institute for Hawaii USA

Rick Hamada Show

RJ Rummel

Robotics Organizing Committee

School Choice in Hawaii

SenatorFong.com

Sink the Jones Act

Statehood for Guam

Talking Tax

Tax Foundation of Hawaii

The Real Hanabusa

Time Out Honolulu

Trustee Akina KWO Columns

UCC Truths

US Tax Foundation Hawaii Info

VAREP Honolulu

Waagey.org

West Maui Taxpayers Association

What Natalie Thinks

Whole Life Hawaii

Yes2TMT