Maui Becomes Power Player

U.S. Department of Energy selects Maui as site of demonstration project aiming to reduce energy demands and integrate renewable energy sources into the island's power grid

The Maui Weekly
5/1/2008
by Sarah Ruppenthal

On Monday, April 21, Gov. Linda Lingle and U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Assistant Secretary for Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability Kevin Kolevar announced that the State of Hawai'i will take part in an innovative $15 million project aiming to reduce peak electricity demand by at least 15 percent. Hawai'i is one of nine states selected by the DOE to participate in a five-year, $50 million project designed to modernize the country's electrical grid system.

The Hawai'i Natural Energy Institute (HNEI) of the University of Hawai'i will receive up to $7 million in federal funding for a three-year demonstration project to increase the efficiency of the state's energy infrastructure. The State Legislature established the HNEI in 1974 as a research unit of the University of Hawai'i at Manoa, with a mandate of conducting research in the areas of energy independence and renewable sources. As an international leader in energy research, HNEI researchers are ideal candidates for the demonstration project. The initiative of the project is to decrease peak load electricity demands at distribution feeders, or the power lines that keep island homes and businesses energized. In addition, the project will examine viable renewable energy sources, energy storage and energy distribution. Specifically, HNEI research teams will design new energy management systems to alleviate electricity "gridlock," while developing alternative energy reserves and power supplies.

According to Assistant Secretary Kolevar, the primary objective of the project is to study the technology needed to create efficient and flexible electrical systems, using the results to develop a new, more reliable electrical grid. Based on distribution research developed at General Electric's Global Research Center and tested at the National Technology Certification Center in Playas, New Mexico, the technology will be deployed at Maui Electric Company's (MECO) Maui Lani Substation located in Kahului. The substation will operate in conjunction with a group of power companies to integrate renewable energy sources into Maui's power grid, including MECO, General Electric, Hawaiian Electric Company (HECO), Columbus Electric Cooperative, the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology and UPC Wind. Collectively, the companies agreed to contribute an additional $8 million in private funds to the project, and will also provide relief to Kaheawa Wind Power, which currently provides nearly 30 percent of energy generation during low-load conditions.

Gov. Lingle was ecstatic to see Hawai'i play a role in such innovative technology. "This is a groundbreaking project that again highlights Hawai'i as a national center for new energy development," she said. "This project will help set the foundation to improve the reliability and efficiency of Hawai'i's electric grid system while allowing greater utilization of renewable energy sources." And, the governor said, "The [DOE] support of our state's energy transformation directly benefits our economy by lowering utility costs and allowing us to invest the $5 billion currently spent on importing oil in Hawai'i's economy instead."

Some see the HNEI project as part of a growing trend, after the state and the DOE signed the Hawai'i Clean Energy Initiative in January 2008, an unprecedented partnership pledging the use of clean, renewable sources to supply 70 percent of the state's energy needs by 2030.

After DOE Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Andy Karsner toured Kaheawa Wind Power in January, Maui became an instant celebrity in the national quest for new energy development. A few weeks later, the State Legislature passed the Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation Tax Act of 2008, which aimed to terminate tax subsidies for oil companies and move towards investing in renewable energy sources-just weeks before Maui surpassed $4 per gallon at the gas pumps. And in March, UPC Wind, owner and operator of Kaheawa Wind Power, signed an agreement with the DOE's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to establish a national wind technology center at the West Maui Kaheawa Wind Power wind farm. These recent developments represent the ongoing mission of Hawai'i-currently the most oil dependent state in the nation-to foster energy independence and ultimately eliminate reliance on imported oil.

On Monday, DOE Assistant Secretary Kolevar said, "DOE is pleased to partner in the development of this innovative energy management system which will further the State of Hawai'i's bold plan to reduce its dependency on fossil fuels and move to a renewable-based energy portfolio."

According to Kolevar, Hawai'i was an ideal candidate for the project. "With its diverse, indigenous energy resources, the State of Hawai'i serves as an ideal candidate to partner with the federal government to test and deploy an array of renewable sources to keep reliable supplies of electricity flowing to the American people," he said.

And according to Gov. Lingle, the HNEI project offers more than a scientific breakthrough. In a press release issued on Thursday, April 24, she addressed the devastating impacts resulting from the closures of the Moloka'i Ranch, Aloha and ATA airlines, but advised residents "to look more broadly at the health of our overall economy and what we can do now to pave the way for our state's long-term well-being? it is this mindset that is driving our pursuit of a clean energy future."

For more information on the Hawai'i Clean Energy Initiative, visit www.hawaii.gov/gov/energy. To learn more about the Lingle-Aiona Administration's energy initiatives, visit www.hawaii.gov/gov or email governor.lingle@hawaii.gov.