Hawaiian Electric Co. on Tuesday announced the selection of four new Hawaii Island solar farm projects.
They are a part of the second phase of Hawaiian Electric’s shared solar program, which is also known as community-based renewable energy, or CBRE. The program provides a way for participating subscribers without privately owned rooftop solar systems to benefit from electricity generated by a renewable energy facility located on their island of residence.
“We are excited to be taking this next step towards providing more choices for our customers, especially those who are not able to participate in our rooftop solar programs,” said Rebecca Dayhuff Matsushima, vice president of resource procurement for Hawaiian Electric.
Two 2.5-megawatt solar farms are to be developed in Waikoloa by Waikoloa Community Solar. The other two projects, both 0.5-megawatts, are to be co-developed by Pivot Energy and Arion Energy under the names Ka Lae Solar Farm and Ka Lae 2 Solar Farm.
A competitive bidding evaluation process, which took into account project costs plus other factors, including community outreach, was used to evaluate the proposals. Next, Hawaiian Electric will work with the selected developers to finalize 20-year contracts.
Once the solar farms are listed on Hawaiian Electric’s online CBRE portal, customers — including those who are renters and apartment residents — may become subscribers to a solar energy facility on their island. Once the projects are built and online, those who subscribe receive credits on their monthly electricity bill based on their level of participation.
“We are grateful for the opportunity to build two community solar projects that will make the dream of low cost, homegrown energy a reality for those who can’t install rooftop solar,” said Waikoloa Community Solar’s Jon Yoshimura. “… Ratepayers will subscribe, receive bill credits, and save on electricity costs.
“On a broader scale, the economic benefits include added discretionary spending, construction jobs, and lower costs for subscribed nonprofits, government entities, and small businesses.”
The two Waikoloa projects are expected to go online in December 2025, and the Naalehu solar farms are expected to be operational in January 2026.
Promotional materials tout an expected 15% savings on electric bills for low-income and residential subscribers.
According to Hawaiian Electric spokeswoman Kristen Okinaka, all four second-phase projects are preapproved by the state Public Utilities Commission because they’ll generate 2.5 megawatts of solar electricity or less.
The first phase of Hawaiian Electric’s shared solar program, which was announced in November, included three projects, all 3 megawatts with storage batteries, and all operated by the Boston solar energy firm Nexamp.
Two of those projects, Kalaoa Solar A and B, are off Queen Kaahumanu Highway in Kailua-Kona. The third, Naalehu Solar, is in Naalehu.
The Naalehu project is projected for completion in June 2025, while both Kalaoa projects are scheduled to be complete in November 2025.
Those first-phase projects require PUC approval, and Nexamp held a meetings in Kailua-Kona and Naalehu in mid-January.
While touting the benefits to those who don’t have their own privately-installed solar-electric system, Michael Billet, director of business development for Nexamp in Honolulu, said during the Naalehu meeting the shared solar program is vital to the state’s clean energy initiative.
“Without this program, I don’t believe Hawaii would be able to reach that clean energy initiative to be 100% renewable by 2045,” Billet told those in attendance. “It’s important to our state’s goals.
It’s important to our climate goals, you know, to reduce the impacts of climate change, especially here in Hawaii, where you have a lot of coastal issues and changing weather pattern as a result of fossil fuel consumption.”
For more information about Hawaiian Electric’s shared solar program, go to hawaiianelectric.com/sharedsolar and communityenergyhawaii.com.
Email John Burnett at jburnett@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
