HAWAII UTILITY OPENS UP TO NEW ENERGY

Hawaiian Electric Offering Waivers To Qualified Renewable Energy Projects

1 March 2013 (Renew Grid)

“Hawaiian Electric Co. [HECO] says it is seeking qualified utility-scale renewable energy projects that developers can place into service quickly at a low cost per kilowatt-hour. If one or more such projects are identified, the utility will work with the developer to seek a waiver from the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission (PUC) Competitive Bidding Framework.

“To qualify to seek a waiver, a project must be located on Oahu and be larger than 5 MW. It can use any viable renewable technology, including wind or solar. The project must also meet all applicable archaeological, environmental and construction permitting requirements.”

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“In addition to the waiver from competitive bidding, Hawaiian Electric and any developer selected must negotiate a power purchase agreement that will be subject to PUC approval. The goal is to have one or more such projects in service by 2015.

“…[HECO believes] renewable energy on long-term, fixed-price contracts [can cut its ratepayers bills and believes] there may be projects substantially ready to go that can be built quickly and at a cost that can help reduce our heavy dependency on fossil fuels…”

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