Renewable solar project greenlit on Kauai

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) — The Hawaii Public Utilities Commission (PUC) has given the green light to a new solar project on Kauai that, according to the Kauai Island Utility Cooperative (KIUC), will help the island reach 100% renewable generation.

AES Hawaii’s Kaawanui Solar project will power the equivalent of more than 16,000 homes annually with clean, locally produced energy, and will meet approximately 17.5% of Kauai’s energy needs, KIUC said.

More than 179 million gallons of fossil fuel will be offset over the project’s 25-year lifespan, avoiding 2.3 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions, the utility said.

“KIUC routinely operates at 100% renewable on sunny days,” said David Bissell, KIUC president and chief executive officer. “Our main challenge in reaching the state’s mandate of 100% renewable by 2045 is eliminating our fossil fuel use during non-solar periods. Projects like this are critical to reaching that goal.”

KIUC said the project will provide an estimated $365 million in savings for the utility over the 25-year fixed-price power purchase agreement with AES.

The utility said residents could save about $4.26 per month in the first year, with savings projected to increase to about $21.08 per month in the last year of the purchase agreement.

Learn more about the project here.

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