• Exclusive Content
  • Events
  • Endeavor Business Media Energy
    1. Renewables

    Ameresco Receives Award for Two Clean Energy Projects Totaling 111 MW on O'ahu

    Dec. 13, 2023
    These two facilities will deliver clean, renewable energy to reduce the island's dependence on fossil fuels and support Hawaii's journey to increased energy independence
    Image Source: Hawaiian Electric Company
    6579cc862dec7e001e4e169f Hawaiian Electric Company

    As part of its clean energy procurement initiative to bring cleaner and more resilient energy to Hawaii, the Hawaiian Electric Company has awarded Ameresco two clean energy facilities located on O'ahu. 

    The first facility is the Pu'uloa Energy installation – designed to generate 99 MW of firm renewable power by leveraging clean fuels, such as biodiesel and biogas fuels. The second facility – the Pu'uloa Solar project – is designed to provide Oahu with an additional 6.4 MW of solar generation and 30 MWh of energy storage, even after the sun sets when electricity use remains high. 

    “These projects align with the energy priorities and policies set forth by the state of Hawaii, including the 100% renewable energy and carbon neutral goals by 2045, and also strongly support the Navy’s goals to bring energy resiliency to Pearl Harbor,” said Nicole Bulgarino, Executive Vice President of Ameresco. “We are committed to working with the community as we move forward with these exciting projects that are designed to deliver clean energy to O‘ahu.”

    Pending the successful negotiation of a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with Hawaiin Electric and approval by the Hawai'i Public Utilities Commission, Pu'uloa Solar will begin supplying electricity to customers in Q3 2026 with Pu'uloa Energy commencing operations in Q4 2027.

    Collectively, these two facilities will deliver clean, renewable energy to help reduce the island's dependence on fossil fuels and further support Hawaii's journey to increased energy independence. 

    In support of its new facilities award and a Department of Defense long-term energy security initiative, Ameresco is currently working with the Department of Navy on a second 37-year land lease with the Navy at Joint Base Pearl Harbor Hickam (JBPHH) to provide critical energy resiliency upgrades. 

    The lease encompasses multiple parcels at JBPHH and continues to build on an existing lease Ameresco has with the Navy for its Kupono Solar project. Kupono Solar is currently under construction and is expected to bring 42 MW of solar generation and 168 MWh of energy storage for the benefit of Hawaiin Electric customers once commissioned. 

    About the Author

    EnergyTech Staff

    Rod Walton is senior editor for EnergyTech.com. He has spent 14 years covering the energy industry as a newspaper and trade journalist.

    Walton formerly was energy writer and business editor at the Tulsa World. Later, he spent six years covering the electricity power sector for Pennwell and Clarion Events. He joined Endeavor and EnergyTech in November 2021.

    He can be reached at [email protected]. 

    EnergyTech is focused on the mission critical and large-scale energy users and their sustainability and resiliency goals. These include the commercial and industrial sectors, as well as the military, universities, data centers and microgrids.

    Many large-scale energy users such as Fortune 500 companies, and mission-critical users such as military bases, universities, healthcare facilities, public safety and data centers, shifting their energy priorities to reach net-zero carbon goals within the coming decades. These include plans for renewable energy power purchase agreements, but also on-site resiliency projects such as microgrids, combined heat and power, rooftop solar, energy storage, digitalization and building efficiency upgrades.