May 19 2010
A power purchase agreement between Hawaiian Electric Company and First Wind subsidiary Kahuku Wind Power has been approved by the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission, under which Hawaiian Electric Company will purchase renewable power to be generated by the 30-MW wind energy project likely to be built on North Shore of Oahu.
Hawaiian Electric Company will make this purchase for more than 20 years.
This new wind project will feature 12 units of wind turbines from Clipper Liberty having 2.5 MW capacity each. A battery power storage system created by Xtreme Power, Inc. will also be included by Kahuku Wind Power for assisting in smoothing wind energy output fluctuations and complying with performance standards.
On the completion of the project, the Energy Information Administration of the Department of Energy indicates that the project can produce around 80,000 MWh annually, sufficient to power 7,700 homes in Oahu, reduce CO2 emissions by around 96 million lbs. annually and reduce consumption of oil by around 153,000 barrels annually.
By collaborating with the Division of Forestry and Wildlife in the Department of Land and Natural Resources of Hawaii and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, First Wind has created a Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP), which is a wildlife conservation initiative that includes actions and research funding aimed at protecting and minimizing incidental harm to species that are federally listed.
The executive vice president of Hawaiian Electric Company Robbie Alm stated that this project will help to realize one of the goals of the state which is to produce 70% energy from clean resources by 2030.