Kūihelani Solar-plus-Storage begins operations on Maui

HONOLULU — Kūihelani Solar-plus-Storage, the state’s largest solar installation owned by AES Hawaiʻi, has begun generating enough energy for 27,000 homes, meeting 15% of Maui’s energy needs.

The facility, located on 450 acres in downtown Maui between the Kūihelani and Maui Veterans Highways, produces 60 megawatts of renewable energy supported by a 240-megawatt-hour lithium-ion battery energy storage system, according to a news release.

On May 31, 2024, a 25-year power purchase agreement between AES Hawai’i and Hawaiian Electric went into effect, providing renewable energy to the Maui power grid at a rate of 8 cents per kilowatt hour, the lowest cost of renewable energy in the state. The project is estimated to offset the need to import two million barrels of oil to produce electricity on Maui.

“Kūihelani Solar-plus-Storage exemplifies the possibility of powering our future when we combine exceptional renewable energy design with community-minded partners to provide services essential to living and working in Hawaii,” said Sandra Larsen, president of AES Hawaiʻi, in a release .

“In July 2022, we broke ground, overcame supply chain logistics challenges, and are now producing much-needed clean energy for Maui’s power grid,” Larsen said.

Larsen added that throughout the design and construction process, support came from the County of Maui and Hawaiian Electric, as well as the broader community. According to Larsen, the end result will be Maui families and businesses that will benefit from “a state-of-the-art, dual-use renewable energy facility that will significantly contribute to meeting the island’s energy needs at a very low cost” for the next 25 years.”

Colton Ching, senior vice president of planning and technology for Hawaiian Electric, said: “With this project, our state is taking another significant step toward achieving our renewable energy goals. “Adding both renewable energy and energy storage will help reduce fossil fuel use, protect us from the impacts of climate change, ensure reliable service and ensure Maui’s energy security.”

The facility is considered to be dual-use because AES Hawaiʻi has partnered with Hoʻoulu ʻĀina Farms in nearby Waikapu to allow sheep to graze on the property to meet Maui’s agricultural and food production needs.

According to AES Hawaiʻi, the construction and operation of Kūihelani Solar-plus-Storage supported the creation of nearly 300 jobs and generated approximately $68 million for Maui’s economy.

Larsen also noted that the facility is the company’s first utility-scale solar project on Maui, illustrating AES Hawaiʻi’s commitment to supporting the state’s 100% renewable energy and decarbonization goals by 2045. The company currently has 11 operations across the state renewable energy projects. These projects, either in operation or in development, will, when completed, collectively provide more than 360 MW of renewable energy, enough to power 152,000 homes statewide while eliminating more than 445,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions and more than 29 million barrels of oil consumption in throughout their life cycle.

Sarah Yamanaka covers news and events for Spectrum News Hawaii. She can be reached at [email protected].