October 9, 2016
Hawaii

Norwegian company wants to build wind farm in ocean off Oahu

By Kathryn Mykleseth | Honolulu Star Advertiser | October 7, 2016 | www.staradvertiser.com

A third company has thrown its hat in the ring to build an off-shore wind farm near Oahu.

Subsidiary of Norway-based Statoil ASA, Statoil Wind US LLC, joined the list of companies looking to build wind farms off Oahu’s shores, after the Obama administration issued a call for interested companies earlier this year.

In June U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell issued “a call for information and nominations to gauge the wind industry’s interest in commercial wind leases in two areas offshore Oahu.”

The announcement came after the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management held a public meeting in May to discuss three wind lease requests that focus on two spots approximately 12 to 17 miles off Oahu’s shores.

The two companies that initially said they were interested are AW Hawaii Wind LLC, a subsidiary of Danish-based Alpha Wind Energy, and Progression Energy LLC. AW Hawaii wants to build two projects: an Oahu South project, consisting of 51 floating wind turbines 17 miles south of Diamond Head, and the 51-turbine Oahu Northwest project 12 miles northwest of Kaena Point. Oregon-based Progression Energy LLC wants to bring 50 turbines to a site 15 miles off Oahu’s South Shore.

Hawaii residents have voiced concerns about the impact two potential offshore wind farms could have on fishing and a culturally significant site.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2016/10/09/norwegian-company-wants-to-build-wind-farm-in-ocean-off-oahu/