Kamehameha Schools CEO Jack Wong, Governor David Ige and representatives from Hawaiian Electric Company and NRG Energy, Inc. helped break ground Wednesday on a three-site solar power collaboration expected to generate 110 megawatts of energy when completed early next year – enough potential power to run 32,000 homes.
Part of the three-site project, which is the largest block of grid-scale solar power ever installed in Hawai‘i and will include upwards of 800,000 solar panels, will be built on KS ‘āina in Kawailoa, located above Hale‘iwa in the Waialua Region. That section of the project will produce enough low-cost, renewable energy to power an equivalent of 14,300 homes, and will lead to an estimated elimination of 106,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions and 223,000 barrels of imported barrels of oil annually.
“Many states are trying to chase us when it comes to sustainable energy,” Gov. Ige said. “I’m really excited about this partnership; it really brings together all the things we’ve been talking about to make our community stronger.”
Wong said: “This project aligns with our commitment to renewable power as we work with the State to collaborate on reaching its goal of 100-percent clean, renewable energy for electricity by 2045 through innovation, education and sustainability.
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