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(Honolulu, HI) Renewable Hawaii, Inc., the renewable energy subsidiary of Hawaiian Electric Company (HECO), today issued a Renewable Energy Request for Project Proposals (RE RFPP) for the islands of Maui, Molokai and Lanai. Proposals are due by December 4, 2003 with selection of accepted bids planned for April 1, 2004.
Renewable Hawaii is seeking opportunities for equity investment in commercially viable and cost effective projects to produce electricity for Hawaii from renewable resources, such as sun, wind, hydro, biomass, ocean or geothermal energy.
With initial approval to invest up to $10 million in renewable energy generation projects, Renewable Hawaii aims to partner with developers, taking a minority interest and thus contributing financing to help increase the total renewable energy projects connected to the electrical grid.
Renewable Hawaii’s previous call for projects for Oahu, which closed in August, resulted in eight proposals that include ocean, biomass, solar and wind energy sources.
“We are currently reviewing the Oahu proposals and look forward to receiving bids for Maui County as well,” said Karl Stahlkopf, Renewable Hawaii President and HECO Senior Vice President of Energy Solutions and Chief Technology Officer. “Our goal is to help increase the electricity generated from renewable resources in Hawaii as quickly as possible.”
A request for projects on the Big Island of Hawaii will follow later.
Higher priority will generally be given to projects supplying “firm” power (which the utility can depend upon on demand) rather than variable or “as-available” sources. Another criteria will be that a project can be integrated into the island’s electric system without impacting service reliability. To ensure projects support the key objective of attaining marked increases in the amount of renewable electricity generated in Hawaii, projects must have a capacity of at least one megawatt and a planned date of commercial operation no later than December 31, 2008.
Renewable Hawaii is a subsidiary of Hawaiian Electric Company, which with its subsidiaries Maui Electric Company and Hawaii Electric Light Company, provides electricity for 95 percent of Hawaii’s people. More information is also available at renewablehawaii.com.
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