Dive Brief:
- A proposal to install "upwards of 100" floating wind turbines offshore of Oahu, Hawaii's most populous island, could generate 30% of the island's energy needs according to a report from Fusion.
- AW Hawaii Wind LLC is proposing a 400 MW offshore wind facility which would transmit energy back to the island via undersea power cables.
- While Hawaii is primed for rooftop solar and the state legislature has passed a 100% by 2045 renewables mandate, the state still produces the bulk of its power from imported oil.
Dive Insight:
While the Hawaiian island of Oahu has been focused on integrating rooftop solar into its mix, it could soon turn its attention toward wind. A subsidiary of Alpha Wind Energy, based in Denmark, is proposing to build a large wind farm offshore that would utilize subsea transmission lines and floating turbines to supply a large chunk of the island's power.
The 400 MW project could supply about a third of the island's load, which ranges from a peak of 1,200 MW to a minimum of 600 MW, the company said. Annual net generation on the island is roughly 8,000,000 MWh according to data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
Alpha Wind, in a proposal filed with the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, said that while the U.S. as a whole is lagging in offshore wind, "increased use of prediction and control methods used in Europe, electric cars, further smart grid development and implementation and possible energy storage facilities will only increase the possibility for additional wind penetration for the island."
According to Fusion.net, the project is estimated to cost $1.6 billion project. There is only one U.S. offshore wind project in construction currently, Rhode Island's Block Island project.
Integration of renewable power — primarily solar — has been a serious issue for Hawaii, with the state's largest utility saying technical limitations were prohibiting it from bringing more customer-sited generation online. Earlier this year state regulators directed Hawaiian Electric Co. to continue connecting customers' rooftop solar systems. More than 10% of customers have systems installed, but due to the isolated nature of the island, Hawaii still produces the bulk of its power from imported oil.
