First Wind to sell power in Hawaii

First Wind won approval this week for an agreement to sell power from the company’s 30-megawatt wind energy project in Oahu, Hawaii.

A subsidiary of the Boston-based developer, Kahuku Wind Power, had reached an agreement to sell power from the project to the Hawaiian Electric Company. The Hawaii Public Utilities Commission on Wednesday approved the power purchase agreement.

The project is planned to consist of 12 wind turbines, each having 2.5-megawatt capacity. Kahuku Wind Power also plans to include a battery energy storage system to help with meeting performance standards and smoothing fluctuations in wind energy output. Construction is scheduled to begin later this year, First Wind said.

When completed, it will be the only wind energy project on Oahu and one of the largest wind energy projects in Hawaii, First Wind said.

Under the terms of the contract, Kahuku Wind Power will sell as-available energy to Hawaiian Electric at pre-determined prices over 20 years. First Wind said this would provide a valuable hedge against fluctuating oil prices.

The company previously developed a wind project in Maui and also has projects in Maine and New York.

Read the whole story in Mass High Tech.