HAWAII PLANTS WIND

First Wind Begins Construction of Oahu-based Kahuku Wind Project
July 13, 2010 (Business Wire via Financial Post)

"First Wind…[starte] construction of its 30 MW Kahuku Wind project, the only utility-scale wind energy project on Oahu and one of the largest in Hawaii…[S]tate, local and community leaders joined First Wind at the project site on Oahu’s North Shore to recognize the economic and environmental benefits of the project, which upon completion will have the capacity to generate enough clean, renewable energy to power up to 7,700 Oahu homes each year…

"Construction of the Kahuku Wind project, which was spurred along by an expected $117 million loan guarantee from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), will create immediate economic benefits for Oahu such as employment opportunities during design, engineering and construction including approximately 200 construction jobs…[T]he project will support the ambitious Hawaiian Clean Energy Initiative, which aims to have 70 percent of the state’s energy for electricity and ground transportation come from clean energy by 2030…"

click to enlarge

"…[T]he Kahuku Wind project…will consist of twelve 2.5 MW Clipper Liberty wind turbines.Manufactured in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, the Liberty turbines are the largest wind turbines manufactured in North America…[It] will also include a battery energy storage system to assist in meeting performance standards and smoothing fluctuations in wind energy output.The battery storage system was developed by Xtreme Power, Inc. and will be the largest of its kind in Hawaii.The project will also include a dedicated communication system to connect the wind energy project to Hawaiian Electric Company’s system…

"In early May, Hawaii Public Utilities Commission approved the Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) between Kahuku Wind Power and Hawaiian Electric Company…First Wind will sell as-available renewable energy from the project to Hawaiian Electric at pre-determined prices over 20 years, providing a valuable hedge against fluctuating oil prices."

The Kaheawa Wind Power project in Maui (click to enlarge)

"The Kahuku Wind project has the capacity to help reduce oil consumption by about 139,500 barrels a year and to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 96 million pounds per year…

"First Wind successfully built and currently operates Hawaii’s largest wind energy facility, the 30 MW Kaheawa Wind Power project in Maui. Kaheawa Wind serves nearly 9 percent of Maui’s annual electricity needs with clean, renewable energy – enough to supply nearly 11,000 households annually.As part of the Kaheawa project, First Wind also implemented what it believes is the nation’s first Habitat Conservation Plan for a working wind energy project.The Kahuku Wind project will also feature a Habitat Conservation Plan so that endangered species can be protected near the project…"