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Education
While much work remains to be done, preliminary planning has started on Interisland Wind. The project aims to make use of established, proven technology to generate renewable energy, reducing our dependence on imported oil.
How can the Interisland Wind project help Hawaii?
One of the objectives of the Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative is to increase renewable energy statewide by 1,100 megawatts by 2030. A major contributor to meeting this objective can be the 400 megawatts of electricity added to O'ahu's grid from Lana'i and Moloka'i by way of an undersea cable developed with the State of Hawai'i.
What are the advantages of wind farms?
Wind turbines harness energy from the wind and converts it into electricity. Wind development projects are a major provider of clean, renewable energy. The proposed wind farms on Lana'i and Moloka'i would have the capability to produce 200+ megawatts each. Through the use of undersea cables, the energy generated on Lana'i and Moloka'i can be transmitted to O'ahu, where demand for electricity is the greatest.
Why place turbines on Lana'i and Moloka'i?
Both Lana'i and Moloka'i have stronger winds and more potential sites for wind farms than O'ahu. Lana'i is already the site of the largest photovoltaic farm in the state and this proposed wind project would add significantly to the island's clean energy contributions for Hawai'i.
Why not put wind farms on O'ahu?
A new wind farm is planned for the North Shore of O'ahu, near where Hawaiian Electric Industries built and operated a wind farm in the mid-19080s. Other wind farms may be built in that area, but their total capacity will be far below what can be generated on Lana'i and Moloka'i. Two other areas of O 'ahu have wind regimes strong enough to support a wind farm: Kahe on the ridges above Hawaiian Electric's Kahe Power Plant, where the community rejected a wind development about five years ago, and Kaena Point, which is both a natural wildlife preserve and a spot of religious significance to Native Hawaiians and thus out of consideration.
How can I have a say in the project? What permits are required?
In addition to learning and commenting through this website, there will be many opportunities for public comment through the Environmental Impact Study and permitting process. An estimated 60 to 100 federal, state and county permits will be needed. Click here for a preliminary list of major opportunities for public input.
Undersea Cable: Our Connection to the Future.
Undersea electicity cables (also called high voltage direct current or HVDC cables) exist in many parts of the world, generally connecting islands with one another or islands with the nearby mainland. HVDC cable technology is well known and becoming less expensive. Over 20 systems around world include:
- Leyte-Luzon cable (13 miles)
- Cross Sound cable (25 miles)
- Hokkaido-Honshu cable (120 miles)
- Norway-Netherlands cable (360 miles)
The distance from Moloka'i to O'ahu is about 32 miles. From Lana'i to O'ahu is about 70 miles.
Click here to learn more about these and other existing undersea cable systems:
To learn more about wind energy, start with these sites:
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