THIS TUESDAY IN KIHEI–Future Solar Farm Above Maui Meadows

October 14, 2018 #kihei #energy #solar

As reported in the Maui News today, the Innergex energy company has made it to the final award stage of MECO’s request for bids on renewable energy. This will be erected on 200 acres just mauka of Maui Meadows, connecting to a nearby MECO substation. The solar panels add up to 15 MW of power, with batteries able to store and provide four hours of full output (60 MWH) when the sun is not out. The tentative schedule is to get a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with MECO by December and then Public Utility Commission (PUC) approval in July next year.

The public can learn more and weigh in at a meeting at the Kihei Community Center 5:30-9:00PM on Tuesday, October 30.

Innovations (from a Maui perspective):

• The first large-scale tracking solar farm (there are motors that rotate the panels for optimal power output)
• A PUC benchmark price of 11.2 cents/kWH, lower than the fossil fuel and other MECO power sources, and the first installation with a price comparable to what the KIUC utility on Kauai (no MECO there) gets

The company also made it to the final awards stage for a project on the Big Island.