HONOLULU, Hawaii, April 6, 2008 (ENS) – The U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory has signed a memorandum of understanding with a Massachusetts-based wind farm company to establish a remote research affiliate partner site on Maui.
It is the first such partner site for the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s wind technology program outside of its base in Colorado.
UPC Wind Partners LLC will use the site to study the integration of wind technology into the Hawaii utility system.
The 30 megawatt UPC Wind Partners Kaheawa wind farm is located in the West Maui Mountains high above Maui’s coastline. It generates enough power to supply nine percent of Maui’s electrical needs.
Hawaii Governor Linda Lingle announced the collaborative public-private partnership to establish a wind technology program on March 31 in Honolulu.
“The establishment of a partner site of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory on Maui recognizes our islands’ abundant renewable resources, and the advancements we are making to transform Hawaii into one of the world’s first economies based primarily on clean energy resources,” said the governor.
This latest partnership expands on the Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative between the State of Hawaii and the U.S. Department of Energy that started in January and aims to have 70 percent of Hawaii’s energy come from clean, renewable sources by 2030.
UPC Wind Partners’ Kaheawa wind farm
in the West Maui Mountains
(Photo courtesy UPC Wind)
The Maui partner site at UPC Wind’s Kaheawa Wind Farm will conduct research and development on advanced wind energy technologies, including operational and control studies, energy storage options and integration of renewable electricity into existing grids.
“Governor Lingle has made a concerted effort to encourage wind power development in Hawaii, as the state seeks to grow its energy independence,” said Paul Gaynor, president and chief executive of UPC Wind Partners, LLC.
“We’re looking forward to participating in this partnership to help develop new technologies that can grow the wind industry as the leading provider of renewable power in the country,” Gaynor said.
The research aims to help maximize the integration of wind into Hawaii’s utility system so that this renewable resource can compete with traditional energy sources, providing a clean, renewable alternative for Hawaii’s and the nation’s energy needs.
“This partnership will provide Hawaii with invaluable technical assistance, access to leading-edge research, and relationships with additional national partners as we seek to develop innovative approaches to increase our energy independence and reduce our reliance on imported fossil fuels,” the governor said.
“The U.S. Department of Energy is pleased to commit the expertise of its National Renewable Energy Laboratory to help harness Hawaii’s unique abundance of natural resources and showcase the broad benefits of renewable energy technologies and alternative fuels at work on an unprecedented scale,” said Andy Karsner the Department of Energy’s assistant secretary for energy efficiency and renewable energy.
Karsner said, “We look forward to further public-private partnerships that will advance the goals of the Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative and serve as an example to be replicated in the United States and other island communities around the world.”
“This is the first presence for the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s wind technology program outside of its base in Colorado,” said NREL Director Dan Arvizu who was in Hawaii to sign the agreement and inspect the new Maui site.
“NREL recognizes the potential in Hawaii both to deploy wind technologies to meet our energy needs and to use successes here as models for other states and regions.”
Wind energy is one of many renewable resources and technologies being built into the Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative.
“For Hawaii to achieve the bold 70 percent clean energy target in one generation, partnerships between the public and private sectors; among federal, state and local government entities and between research institutions and industry will be critical,” said Governor Lingle, a Republican. “It will require a fundamental transformation in how Hawaii generates, transmits and uses energy.”
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