Bright Canyon Energy’s Solar + Storage Project in Seeking Final Approvals in Hawaii

Bright Canyon Energy is in the final award group for HECO’s initiative to bring its solar plus storage project to Hawaii.

Bright Canyon Energy has announced it is in the final award group for Hawaiian Electric Company’s (HECO) initiative to bring a cleaner energy supply to Hawaii. The firm’s Kūpono Solar plus storage project, located on the island of O‘ahu, includes a 42-megawatt solar field combined with a 168-megawatt hour battery energy storage system (BESS).

Pending successful negotiation of a power purchase agreement with Hawaiian Electric and approval by the Hawaiʻi Public Utilities Commission, Kūpono would begin supplying electricity to customers in 2022. The project will deliver clean, renewable energy, help stabilise energy costs, reduce dependence on fossil fuels and provide a pathway to increased energy independence for Hawaii.

“This project aligns with the energy priorities and policies set forth by the state of Hawaii, including the 100 percent renewable energy and carbon-neutral goals by 2045,” said Jason Smith, General Manager of Bright Canyon Energy. “We are committed to working with the community as we move forward with this exciting project that will deliver a range of benefits for the clean energy future of O’ahu.”

Renewable electricity generated by Kūpono Solar will replace energy generated by burning fossil fuel, thereby reducing emissions and greenhouse gases. The solar project will deliver 42 megawatts of clean electricity to the O‘ahu grid and will energise a 42-megawatt, four-hour battery storage system (for a total of 168 megawatt-hours) to provide solar after sunset when electricity use remains high. Kūpono Solar will deliver enough sustainable, renewable energy to power 10,000 homes on O‘ahu, displacing more than 50,000 tons of carbon dioxide every year from Hawaii’s environment – the equivalent of removing 12,000 cars from the road.

This is now the third project award by the HECO that we have reported on recently, the first was when Longroad Energy was selected to begin developing two utility-scale solar and battery storage projects for completion in 2023 in the state of Hawaii. The two projects include work on the development of solar projects worth a combined 160 MWac and Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) worth 640 MWh.

And the second was when, AES Distributed Energy, a division of the AES Corporation, was selected to develop and operate two new utility-scale solar plus storage facilities also on O’ahu. Combined, these two projects are expected to generate a total of 137,000 MWh of locally produced, reliable renewable energy, serving upwards of 23,000 homes.