HONOLULU (KHON2) — AES Hawaii has inaugurated operations on the Kihelani Solar-plus-Storage facility, marking a significant milestone in Hawaii’s renewable energy landscape.
Situated on 450 acres in central Maui, between Kihelani Highway and Maui Veterans Highway, the project boasts a capacity to power 27,000 homes.
Under a 25-year power purchase agreement with Hawaiian Electric, commencing on May 31, 2024, AES Hawaii is supplying renewable energy to Maui’s power grid at the aforementioned low rate of 8-cents per kilowatt hour, the lowest in the state.
Generating 60 MW of renewable energy, supported by a 240 MWh lithium-ion battery energy storage system, Kihelani Solar-plus-Storage is poised to meet 15% of Maui’s energy demands, significantly contributing to the island’s sustainable energy goals.
Moreover, the project’s implementation is reducing Maui’s dependence on imported oil, offsetting the need for two million barrels annually.
Sandra Larsen, President of AES Hawaii, emphasized the company’s dedication to Hawaii’s renewable energy objectives, citing the Kihelani Solar-plus-Storage project as a testament to AES Hawaii’s commitment to supporting the state’s ambitious 100% renewable energy and decarbonization targets by 2045.