Moloka‘i

Graphic map of Moloka‘i with an icon representing existing photovoltaic installations distributed island-wide. The island is shown in yellow. The icon, located at the center of the island, is a green circle with a black sun symbol in the center representing solar power.

Map of Moloka‘i indicating that small-scale solar installations are distributed island-wide.

Moloka‘i is served by the Maui Electric Company, which has about 12 megawatts of diesel-generating capacity on the island.

Renewable Resources on Moloka‘i

Moloka‘i has significant wind resources that could serve to meet local needs as well as provide power to O‘ahu. On the local scale, one feasibility study found that four 1.5-megawatt wind turbines could meet half the island's electrical use and provide excellent lifecycle cost savings (based on oil price projections at the time of the study). On a larger scale, a 200-megawatt project is proposed for exporting power to O‘ahu via undersea cable. The proposal remains under discussion.

Moloka‘i also has sites that would be suitable for utility-scale solar power and biomass power projects. Together with a local wind project, these would be sufficient to meet the island's entire electrical need, provided that such renewable resources could be successfully integrated onto a small island grid in a reliable and cost-effective way. Thus Moloka‘i has sufficient renewable resources to supply much of its own energy needs and could provide power to meet a significant portion of O‘ahu's needs.

Department of Energy
State of Hawaii