Hawaiian Electric recently announced it has filed its "Integrated Grid Plan" with the State Public Utilities Commission, which outlines the company's steps to achieve net zero carbon emissions and use 100% renewable resources by 2045. The electricity provider is seeking regulatory approval of the plan, according to the announcement.
Highlights of the Integrated Grid Plan include:
•The introduction of programs to make it more affordable to participate in energy generation, storage and efficiency, including improving access to private rooftop solar and shared solar projects.
• The addition of large-scale renewable generation and energy storage. The company aims to add more than 3,700 megawatts of hybrid solar, energy storage and firm renewables by 2030.
• Adding renewable firm generation, which provides an on-demand source of energy that is not weather-dependent.
• Engaging with communities frequently throughout the development of energy projects.
• Reducing costs for customers by seeking federal funding. The company is pursuing federal funds to reduce the cost of grid modernization and hardening, according to the announcement.
Hawaiian Electric filed the draft plan with regulators on March 31, and invited public comments on the draft through April 21, as previously reported by PBN. The company received more than 300 comments and used the feedback to add clarifications to the report. Hawaiian Electric has collected data through working groups, stakeholder meetings, community events, and more since 2018, and used the information gathered to help shape the plan, according to the announcement.
“Meeting the energy needs of our customers up to and beyond 2045 requires a short-term action plan and a long-term strategy, and that’s what the Integrated Grid Plan delivers,” Colton Ching, senior vice president of planning and technology at Hawaiian Electric, said in a statement. “Creating a resilient, clean energy grid has never been more urgent as the effects of climate change escalate, existing energy infrastructure ages and our timelines shrink.”
