Dive Brief:
- Hawaiian Electric last year issued a request for proposals of 60-200 MW of battery storage, which the utility intended to use for renewables integration, but now says the plan will likely be delayed a year.
- Pacific Business News reports the company is still working on energy storage agreements, which had been expected to be completed earlier this year.
- HECO, currently in talks to be acquired by NextEra Energy, wants to be able to store the energy for up to 30 minutes to stabilize wind and solar loads throughout the day.
Dive Insight:
A HECO spokesman told Pacific Business News that plans to install up to 200 MW of battery backup on Oahu will be delayed about a year. The utility is still working on filing energy storage agreements with the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission, meaning it will miss the targeted 2017 deadline.
HECO issued the request for proposals shortly after state regulators rejected its Integrated Resource Plan last year, which the PUC said appeared to be "a series of unrelated capital projects without strategic focus on the clear issues facing the utility, and did not indicate further progress towards a sustainable business model.”
The utility has been struggling to bring on large amounts of rooftop solar and other renewables as it works to shift away from expensive import-oil fired generation. It is also in talks with NextEra Energy for the clean energy giant to take over the utility.
HECO last year issued the storage RFP “to meet its goal of adding more renewable generation to the O‘ahu grid.” It received more than 60 proposals, including one from AES Hawaii, the state's only coal-fired generator.