Longroad Energy Selected for 160 MW Solar With 640 MWh BESS in Hawaii

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Longroad Energy has been selected by the Hawaiian Electric Company to begin developing two utility-scale solar and battery storage projects in Hawaii

Longroad Energy has been selected by the Hawaiian Electric Company (HECO) 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.

The proposed projects include the 120 MWac/480 MWh Mahi project in Kunia, O’ahu, which would be the state’s largest solar project to date, and the 40 MWac/160 MWh Pulehu Solar in Pulehu, Maui.

“We have a track record in Hawai’i of working with local residents to design good projects that communities support,” said Paul Gaynor, CEO of Longroad Energy. “We are grateful for the opportunity to develop these new projects that help the state make strides towards its ambitious 100 percent renewable energy goal.”

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In the coming months, the firm plans to gather community input, negotiate power purchase agreements (PPAs) with HECO, begin the permitting process, and hold virtual public meetings.

The Mahi Solar project plans to work with the Hawaii Farm Bureau on O’ahu to find new agricultural uses for the land under and around the solar panels, and the Pulehu Solar project plans to support the educational efforts of the Maui Economic Development Board to teach students about clean energy.

The Hawaii team at Longroad (previously as First Wind) developed seven of the state’s largest clean energy projects including 150 MW of wind and 110 MW of solar, all of which are operational.

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In March, First Solar had announced that Longroad Energy was the acquirer of its four solar projects with a combined capacity of 160-megawatts (MW) in California. First Solar had previously disclosed the transaction without identifying the acquirer.

Backed by a long-term PPA with a Community Choice Aggregator (CCA), Marin Clean Energy (MCE), the Little Bear Solar portfolio of projects is located in Fresno County, California. The projects, which range from 20 MW to 50 MW, are expected to be completed by the end of the fourth quarter of 2020 and designed to have a low impact on local land and water resources, and the environment.