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Electricity Working Group

The Electricity working group is dedicated to increasing the use of renewable electricity technologies in Hawai‘i and facilitating the distribution of electricity across our islands.

Goal

The Hawai‘i Clean Energy Initiative's goal, and the statutory goal of Hawai‘i's Renewable Portfolio Standard, is to generate 40% of Hawai‘i's energy from renewable resources by 2030. In order to increase the use of renewable electricity throughout Hawai‘i, the working group is focusing on increasing renewable generation, upgrading grid infrastructure, securing investment, and promoting public acceptance.

Short-Term Objectives

The Electricity working group is working toward the following short-term objectives

• Preparing a master plan identifying critical activities and projects
• Defining and creating a "smart grid"
• Defining and creating renewable energy zones
• Supporting renewable power procurement.

Issues and Challenges

Hawai‘i has a wealth of renewable resources; by some estimates, we could generate 150% of our electricity from indigenous renewable. However, increased reliance on renewable electricity generation is constrained by a number of factors, including

• Variability of and lack of ability to dispatch some renewable resources
• Lack of demand for electricity in off-peak hours
• Potential need for dozens of permits at the federal, state, and county levels for each project
• Lack of data about the resources themselves, as well as generation characteristics, grid impacts, environmental impacts, and costs
• Inadequate grid infrastructure on each island
• Isolation of the islands' individual electric grids
• Lack of public information about—and thus understanding of—energy systems
• Challenge of obtaining financing for energy projects
• Need for a workforce trained in renewable energy technologies
• Precommercial nature of some renewable technologies
• Lengthy utility procurement process.

Milestones

The Electricity working group has set the following milestones for 2009:

• Explore potential for new regulations that support goals and objectives.
• Research and draft legislation.
• Support DBEDT and DOE initiatives and projects.
• Define the purpose of a "smart grid"
• Establish a framework for renewable energy zones, in cooperation with the utilities
• Prepare a master plan which will identify critical activities and projects, and what is required to implement them successfully.

Contacts

Andrea Gill, DBEDT, Electricity working group co-chair