Waiawa, HI \u2014 Clearway Energy Group\u2019s (Clearway) 36-megawatt (MW) solar farm with 144 MWh of battery storage on Kamehameha Schools\u2019 lands in Waiawa in Central O\u2018ahu recently achieved commercial operations after passing all of its necessary commissioning tests. The site will generate enough clean electricity to power more than 7,600 homes each year.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are proud to help Hawai\u2018i reach its climate goals and invest in renewable energy in the state,\u201d said Craig Cornelius, CEO of Clearway. \u201cWe are immensely grateful for the collaboration with our partners Hawaiian Electric and Kamehameha Schools who help make those goals a reality.\u201d<\/p>\n
Clearway is a national independent power producer and leading solar energy developer in Hawai\u2018i. This is Clearway\u2019s second utility-scale solar and battery project on O\u2018ahu and the fifth utility-scale solar project that it has developed on the island.<\/p>\n
\u201cClean energy is better for our air, our health, and our cost of living,\u201d said Governor Josh Green, M.D. \u201cThis solar project is an important addition to O\u2018ahu\u2019s growing portfolio of lower-cost renewable resources to benefit all residents. We commend Clearway Energy Group and their partners for their continued contribution to providing clean energy at a price that is lower than fossil-fuel alternatives.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cStabilizing energy costs for our customers is a priority, and projects like Waiawa Solar will feed electricity to the grid at about half the cost of oil,\u201d said Shelee Kimura, president, and CEO of Hawaiian Electric. \u201cWe appreciate Clearway\u2019s and Kamehameha Schools\u2019 contributions as we all work together to decarbonize our energy system, and look forward to bringing more benefits to our communities as six additional projects come online over the next two years on O\u2018ahu.\u201d<\/p>\n
This is also the second utility-scale solar project that Clearway has developed on Kamehameha Schools\u2019 lands on O\u2018ahu.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur collaboration with Clearway has provided us with paths to steward our \u2018\u0101ina in ways to reduce Hawai\u2018i\u2019s dependence on fossil fuels while bringing \u2018\u0101ina-based learning to haum\u0101na through partnerships and innovations,\u201d Kamehameha Schools\u2019 Vice President of Community and \u2018\u1fb9ina Resiliency K\u0101\u2018eo Duarte said. \u201cWe congratulate Clearway and Hawaiian Electric Co. in reaching this milestone which we believe will help to contribute to the resiliency of our communities.\u201d<\/p>\n
This newest solar and battery storage power plant represents a $150 million investment on approximately 180 acres of land leased from Kamehameha Schools. The solar farm generates clean electricity at about half the cost of fossil fuels and feeds the entire O\u2018ahu grid, benefiting all island ratepayers. The battery system stores electricity to make it available after the sun goes down and when the demand for power peaks.<\/p>\n
Clearway has developed renewable projects in Hawai\u2018i since 2019, including a 45.9 MW site in Waipi\u2018o, a 14.7 MW site in Mililani, and a 49 MW site in Kawailoa on O\u2018ahu\u2019s North Shore. In August 2022, Clearway completed O\u2018ahu\u2019s first utility-scale solar and battery project in the Mililani Agricultural Park. Altogether, the five solar projects total 185 MW for Hawaiian Electric\u2019s grid and generate enough clean electricity to power more than 45,500 O\u2018ahu homes each year.<\/p>\n
Project construction was led by Moss and the batteries were supplied by W\u00e4rtsil\u00e4.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Waiawa, HI \u2014 Clearway Energy Group\u2019s (Clearway) 36-megawatt (MW) solar farm with 144 MWh of battery storage on Kamehameha Schools\u2019 lands in Waiawa in Central O\u2018ahu recently achieved commercial operations […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"template":"","acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n