NRG Energy breaks ground on three solar projects in Hawaii

NRG Energy, Inc. announced Wednesday that it broke ground on three grid-scale solar power projects on the island of O’ahu in Hawaii in partnership with the Hawaiian Electric Company, Kamehameha Schools, and other organizations.

The three projects, located at Kawailoa, Waipi’o, and Mililani, will produce a combined 110 megawatts (MW), enough to power 32,000 O’ahu homes each year.

“This is an important moment in renewable energy progress for O‘ahu and for Hawai‘i,” Hawaiian Electric President and CEO Alan Oshima said. “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.”

The projects are the largest block of grid-scale solar power ever installed in Hawai‘i. The state has set a goal of 100 percent clean, renewable energy for electricity by 2045.

“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,” Craig Cornelius, president of NRG Renewables, said. “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.”

NRG expects to complete all three projects by 2019.