Hawaii's Biggest Clean Energy Contract Generating Big Interest
By Sophie Cocke 05/14/2012
As many as 200 companies are showing an interest in the largest bid for renewable energy in the states history.
The Legislature's recent approval of the undersea cable bill earlier this month is generating added interest in projects seeking to bring energy from neighbor islands to Oahu.
Hawaiian Electric Co. is expected to release a request for proposals soon for 200 megawatts or more of renewable energy. The amount is equivalent to about seven Kahuku wind farms the North Shore project on Oahu that includes 12 turbines with blades stretching more than 400 feet into the sky. Proposals can use any viable technology and be sited on any island that can reach Oahu by cable, or on Oahu itself.
Wind, solar and undersea cable developers, engineers and attorneys are just some of the dozens of stakeholders who flocked to an informational meeting hosted by the utility and state officials in December. Since then, companies have been making the rounds talking to state and local officials.
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