NRG Energy Breaks Ground on Three Hawaii Solar Projects

 NRG Energy, Inc. in partnership with the Hawaiian Electric Company, Kamehameha Schools and others, has broken ground on three grid-scale solar power projects on the island of O‘ahu that will significantly contribute to the Hawai‘i goal of 100 percent clean, renewable energy for electricity by 2045.

“Hawai‘i is on the front lines of the fight against climate change, and the shift to renewable energy is one of our best weapons,” said Hawai‘i Gov. David Ige. “Building solar energy at this scale represents tremendous progress toward our renewable energy goals. I thank all the partners involved for making it happen.”

The projects at Kawailoa, Waipi‘o and Mililani total 110 megawatts (MW) and will produce low-cost, renewable energy equivalent to that used by almost 32,000 O‘ahu homes each year. This is the largest block of grid-scale solar power ever installed in Hawai‘i.

“NRG is very proud to support Hawaiian Electric, the State and citizens of Hawai‘i as they move forward in their efforts to obtain 100 percent of their power from renewable resources,” said Craig Cornelius, president of NRG Renewables. “Using just the plentiful sunlight that O‘ahu receives, these three solar facilities will generate clean energy for decades to come, and are an exciting step forward to help Hawai‘i have the cleanest electrical grid in the nation.”

“This is an important moment in renewable energy progress for O‘ahu and for Hawai‘i,” said Alan Oshima, Hawaiian Electric president and CEO. “These are the first major projects to break ground since our Power Supply Improvement Plan was accepted last year and we appreciate the efforts of NRG to bring an unprecedented amount of new renewable energy resources online. As always, our goal is better value for our customers, who will get the benefits of lower prices for clean, renewable energy over the life of these projects.