The Hawaiian Electric Co. (HECO) asked the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission (HPUC) to open a docket to approve its issuance of a formal Request for Proposals (RFP) for renewable energy projects on Oahu. This is, HECO said, an early step toward meeting the state’s 100% renewables by 2045 mandate.
The RFP would also be an important step toward meeting targets designated in the five-year renewables action plan defined in HECO’s Power Supply Improvement Plan (PSIP) update filed with the PUC in April, the utility added. The commission is reviewing the PSIP. Overall, its preferred plan calls for Hawaii’s 2045 electricity generation mix to be composed of 16.1% distributed solar, 10.2% utility-scale solar, 33.4% onshore and offshore wind energy, 26.9% biofuels, 6.5% geothermal energy, 6.5% waste and biomass, and 0.4% hydropower.
The RFP will stipulate the projects must be on Oahu and must be online by the end of 2020. Once the docket is opened, the PUC will appoint an independent observer to oversee the procurement and to collaborate with HECO on the RFP’s technical, operational, and performance requirements.
