March 21, 2015
Hawaii

Major offshore wind energy project planned for Hawaii waters

Duane Shimogawa, Reporter- Pacific Business News | Mar 20, 2015 | www.bizjournals.com

A Danish developer is planning to develop a major offshore wind energy project, which would include more than 100 turbines, in federal waters in Hawaii off Oahu’s northwest and southern coasts, according to a published report.

The project would be the first floating offshore wind farm in the United States. Thus far, there are no offshore wind farms up and running in the U.S., although there are some projects in some sort of development phase in areas such as the East Coast and Great Lakes region.

Alpha Wind Energy has turned in a lease request to the U.S. Interior Department for two 51-turbine project, which total 408-megawatts, according to Rechargenews.com.

The proposed project off Oahu’s South Shore would be located 17 miles south of Diamond Head in depths of up to 700 meters and lease an area of about 12,000 acres, while the North Shore project would be located 12 miles northwest of Kaena Point in depths of up to 1,000 meters and lease an area of about 11,400 acres, according to the report.

No development cost of the project was available.

Alpha Wind Energy will need to strike a deal with Hawaiian Electric Co. for a power purchase agreement.

Earlier this month, PBN reported that offshore wind energy developers have recently taken a look at possible locations in the Pacific Ocean off the Hawaiian Islands for such projects.

It’s been about a decade since there was a serious play to develop an offshore wind farm project off the coast of Hawaii, but there has been some recent interest from some of the major developers of this type of project.

Jeff Mikulina, executive director of the Honolulu-based renewable energy focused nonprofit Blue Planet Foundation, previously told PBN that the offshore wind developers have stopped by Hawaii and checked out what could be done.

However, he noted that while they have shown interest, no deal is in place.

PBN reached out to Alpha Wind Energy and Hawaiian Electric Co. for comment Friday.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2015/03/21/major-offshore-wind-energy-project-planned-for-hawaii-waters/