Wind energy slow to grow in Hawaii

A 100-kilowatt wind turbine will soon hover atop a 120-foot-high tower owned by the Hawaii Water Service Co. on the Big Island. Or, at least that is what’s planned.

But so far the process for the single wind turbine in Waikoloa has been far from easy. Hawaii County zoning ordinances require a use permit, which took six months to secure, planning department approval, which is ongoing, and a building permit, which is expected to take another four to six months.

“There needs to be more certainty on the county levels to streamline wind energy permits, and clarity on exactly where and what kind of wind system uses each county wants to permit.” said Leo Caires, president of Gen-X Energy Development in Haiku, Maui, which is partnering with Boulder, Colo.-based NexGen Energy Partners for the project’s financing. “Technology can be deployed only as fast as local policies are developed.”

This story’s look at wind energy and its role in Hawaii’s push for energy independence is the third in an occasional series designed to analyze the status of our state’s alternative-energy options, where the best opportunities lie and what’s needed to overcome myriad obstacles.

There are currently four operational wind farms on Maui and the Big Island, and four more in various stages of development. Currently, about 9 percent of Maui’s energy comes from wind and about 12 percent of the Big Island’s supply. First Wind is planning to expand the 30 megawatt Kaheawa Power Project on West Maui by 21 megawatts, and San Diego-based Sempra Generation hopes to begin a 22-megawatt wind farm at Ulupalakua Ranch in upcountry Maui. The Kauai Electric Utility Cooperative has signed an agreement with UPC Kauai Wind Power for a 10.5-megawatt to 15-megawatt project, and Oahu has its own plans for wind on the North Shore. Boston-based First Wind has broken ground on a 30-megawatt project in Kahuku, but the biggest plans for powering Hawaii’s most populous island with wind energy are intended for Molokai and Lanai.

Wind technology has come a long way since the first-generation wind turbines of the 1980s, and even on a small scale the energy delivered can rival the price of oil if turbines are constructed under favorable wind conditions. Small wind turbines can range from $3,000 to $5,000 per kilowatt capacity, with commercial turbines reaching more than $2 million, according to Windindustry, a nonprofit industry group.

But the permitting process has strangled businesses hoping to take advantage of Hawaii’s abundant wind resources.

Read the full story in Pacific Business News of Honolulu.