Renewable Energy Zones Input
An NREL study identified eight initial potential renewable energy zones, and your previous input has helped Hawaiian Electric to develop criteria that reflect considerations for developing renewable energy zones.
Using that criteria, Hawaiian Electric has prioritized four zones for further study. We need your help to identify opportunities and challenges within each zone, so that we can ultimately prioritize two of these zones for development to act as a pilot for future renewable energy zones. Consider the following factors:
- Location: proximity of a potential project location to residences, schools, agricultural lands, cultural and historical resources
- Access: proximity of a potential project location to emergency evacuation routes and maintenance access
- Demand: is the potential project location in an area of high energy demand, or an area that already hosts generation infrastructure?
- Existing infrastructure: proximity of a potential project location to today’s power delivery grid infrastructure
To add a comment, click on a location on the map, and fill out the corresponding form.
Legend
Note that the NREL Solar Potential areas exclude Priority Agricultural Land as well as various types of conservation lands, including National Park Service land, US Fish and Wildlife Service land, state parks, wetlands, and others. The data shown on this map is for discussion purposes only and is subject to change.
About this mapQuestions about this map
Hawaiian Electric partnered with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory to develop the zones based on an analysis of the best technical conditions for wind and solar energy generation. This included data about:
- Wind and sun coverage
- Steepness of slopes
- Financial costs
- Access to the site and proximity to existing transmission corridors
Hawaiian Electric will not publicly post comments with names, but we will create a summary of key themes from comments and may quote anonymous comments in future public outreach materials. Hawaiian Electric staff will review all comments and consider as part of the grid planning process.
What are renewable energy zones?
Our land and energy connections
Balancing land use priorities to move toward a clean energy future.
To power the grid with 100% renewable energy by 2045, we need more renewable energy projects at both the community level and grid level. For example, to replace just one coal-fired plant on Oahu scheduled to go offline in 2022, we expect the island will need new wind and solar projects with a collective footprint 29 times the size of Aloha Stadium.
There is a lot to consider when identifying locations for new renewable energy projects. Each resource requires different technical conditions—for example, grid-scale solar facilities generally require flat, open terrain that receives consistent sunshine. There are also other land use priorities that we must understand and balance. Land is limited across the islands, and it will take communication, collaboration and creativity to find land use solutions that protect cultural resources and the environment and meet various needs: for communities, affordable housing, agriculture, industries, energy, and more.
Mapping renewable energy zones
As a first step to identify potential renewable energy projects, we needed to understand which places have the right technical conditions for different resources. Hawaiian Electric brought in a partner to help study this challenge: the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.
Together, Hawaiian Electric and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory conducted a data-driven preliminary study to identify potential areas on Oahu, Hawaii Island and Maui that may be suitable for future renewable energy projects. The outcome was a set of renewable energy zones for these three islands, representing where future energy projects could potentially be located.
A renewable energy zone is an area that has suitable technical conditions for clean energy generation projects, including cost-effective connections to the existing grid, and additional transmission infrastructure required to connect potential clean energy projects to customers. A renewable energy zone will enable efficient interconnection of clean energy projects that may include solar, wind, battery energy storage, among other resources, by creating grid capacity.
Hawaiian Electric partnered with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory to estimate the potential for grid-scale solar, wind, and distributed rooftop solar developed based on available land, potential capacity, and potential electricity generation for sites across the five islands. This included data about:
- Wind and sun coverage
- Steepness of slopes
- Financial costs
- Access to the site and proximity to existing transmission corridors and grid connections
- Land use and zoning
With this information, Hawaiian Electric identified potential areas called Renewable Energy Zones to complete a high-level analysis of the transmission requirements needed to support the interconnection of each zone to our electricgrid.
Hawaiian Electric and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory chose to consider only wind and solar potential when mapping the renewable energy zones because studies show that those two resources are the most cost-effective grid-scale options for generating clean energy within the next ten years. We are also considering other resources and technologies—including geothermal, biomass and hydro-energy—as we plan for a resilient and reliable grid powered by diverse energy sources.
Much of our grid planning work on Lanai is happening in collaboration with the majority landowner on the island. Hawaiian Electric is seeking a developer to build and maintain the largest renewable energy project and the first to offer the shared solar program on the island. We look forward to adding more renewables on Lanai to move forward with the transition to clean energy.
On Molokai, the island is currently preparing a Molokai Community Energy Resilience Action Plan (CERAP): an independent, island-wide, community-led and expert-informed collaborative planning process to increase renewable energy on Molokai. The CERAP is being coordinated by the Molokai Clean Energy Hui by Sustainable Molokai. The Hawaiian Electric team is excited to provide technical support to the Molokai Clean Energy Hui in their planning process to develop a portfolio of clean energy projects to achieve 100% renewable energy for the island that is feasible, respectful of Molokai's culture and environment and strongly supported by the community.
Learn more at sustainablemolokai.org/clean-energy
The latest version of the study was filed in November 2021, and is can be found online.
Seeking community insights to hone the zones
With Hawaiian Electric’s initial study complete, Hawaiian Electric needs your help to refine the renewable energy zones! We’re gathering public insights to understand the potential impacts, land use opportunities and community needs and interests within each zone on Maui, Oahu and Hawaii Island. We invite you to share your thoughts through the interactive map, below, or through one of our in-person engagement opportunities, including:
- Community presentations (request a presentation for your community group)
- Community talk stories
- Youth and student conversations
- Community events (find an event near you)
Your feedback will help Hawaiian Electric identify locations for potential future renewable energy projects.
Not necessarily. Each island is unique and will require a different set of projects to meet local energy needs. Depending on the island and location of each zone, one zone may have multiple projects and another zone may not have any projects. Hawaiian Electric is still studying these renewable energy zones, and the community conversations around these zones will help enhance our understanding of land use priorities within each zone.
Hawaiian Electric will consider public input and technical studies to refine the renewable energy zones and identify projects to move forward within each zone. This information will be used to inform another round of competitive procurements to be issued next year.
Map information coming soon
Your comment has been submitted. Thank you for your input!