Hawaii

Last year, the number of solar+storage permits granted by Honolulu city and county increased to 731, a startling increase from the 40 the city granted in 2016.

With more than 100 megawatts of solar still under construction, the state is continuing its national leadership.

Three solar projects which were caught up in the fire sale of SunEdison assets are finally seeing the light of day.

For the third straight year, Hawaiian state legislators are trying to provide tax incentives for residents who install energy storage systems.

A recent article in Bloomberg View illustrates clearly the mythology and misinformation that abounds regarding renewable energy, which in many cases is spread by the media.

The state’s Public Utilities Commission has provided detailed guidance for a new program for HECO utilities, including an order for 8 MW of community solar in the first year.

The Hawaiian utility, which has at times struggled with the state’s increasingly overwhelming rooftop PV penetration, hopes the new voltage regulators and management software might alleviate some of the grid congestion.

Electric buses, electric rail and EV fleets will be powered by renewable energy and batteries by 2045. This includes in the state’s largest city, Honolulu.

During the first nine months of 2017, Hawaii and Nevada joined California among the club of states that get more than 10% of their power from solar.

Taking a page from the corporate procurement playbook, this “green tariff” could include solar plus storage and may be available to other institutions in the future.