Hawaiian Electric Seeks to Expand Renewables, Energy Storage on Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi Island, and Maui

Hawaiian Electric has kicked off one of the largest energy procurements in the state's history, seeking new solar, wind, and battery storage projects for Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi Island, and Maui. The utility wants nearly 1,650 gigawatt-hours of solar and wind power, 465 megawatts of combined solar-plus-battery systems, and 111 megawatts of "firm" generation, power sources that can run around the clock even when the sun isn't shining or the wind isn't blowing. These projects would come online between 2031 and 2034 and are meant to push Hawaiʻi closer to its goal of getting all its electricity from renewable sources by 2045, while also letting the utility retire older, oil-burning power plants sooner.

The utility is also asking regulators for faster approval to add up to 500 more megawatts of flexible-fuel generation on Oʻahu, and it plans to seek bids on all fuel types, including liquid and gas fuels, by the end of 2026. Separately, a Japan-based energy company wants to build what would be the island's biggest power plant, running on liquefied natural gas, outside the normal competitive bidding process. Hawaiian Electric says it wants that project, and any others, evaluated through the open bidding system rather than approved as a standalone deal.

None of this changes anything for homeowners right away. It plays out through state regulatory review over the next several years, but it points toward where Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi Island, and Maui get their power from in the next decade, and how much of it comes from fossil fuels versus renewables.