Can solar, wind, and storage provide all the electrical needs of the Hawai`i Islands?
Imagine if all Hawaii electricity generators were intermittent solar and wind facilities. If the solar and wind systems were not producing electricity, then energy storage systems would need to take over. This would be especially critical during any windless peak demand period that occurs from 5 pm to 9 pm.
Relying solely on existing electrical storage would produce immediate outages on all islands. The maximum grid-based storage is significantly less than the minimum demand for electricity. Parts of the grid would immediately go dark while critical facilities and a limited number of ratepayers continued to receive power for four hours. At that point, everyone without an onsite system would lose all power.
Commercial Scale Systems / Islands |
Unit |
Oahu |
Maui |
Hawaii |
Existing Storage |
MWh |
1087 |
240 |
120 |
In Development Storage |
MWh |
453 |
213 |
144 |
Total Existing and In Development Storage |
MWh |
1550 |
453 |
264 |
Storage Released per hour for four hours |
MW |
387 |
113 |
66 |
Peak Load |
MW |
1088 |
187 |
187 |
Some people assert that what is needed is a massive increase in chemical (lithium batteries). That with sufficient storage, all electricity customers and all ground and local marine transportation could be powered by the electric grid.
The amount of storage needed for extreme weather events and its cost are unknown. Imagine installing a huge and expensive battery facility that is used for one week every 20 years.
Life of the Land does not have a Ouija board, tarot cards, a crystal ball, nor a magic potion.
We don’t know what resources will prove to be cost-effective. We don’t know what solutions would be part of the resource portfolio needed to achieve net negative greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for all electricity, transportation, and aviation.
Long-term solar might exist in the future. The other non-fossil fuel options are pumped storage hydro, biofuels, biomass, small scale thorium (nuclear) reactors, and geothermal. All of these have strong negatives and opponents.
Life of the Land supports additional energy storage facilities. We also support research and pilot projects involving biofuels and pumped storage hydro, as well test wells to determine where geothermal resources exist outside of active lava zones. Meaninful, transparent, community-based dialogue must occur before any pilot projects and any commercial-scale facilities are built.
Life of the Land asserts that people and communities must be at the table where decisions are made about where renewable infrastructure is being considered. It’s not just a box you check off. The process is important. There must be open and transparent discussions that encourage diversity, equity, and inclusion of all people including those of different economic strata. Communities consent is of paramount importance. Communities have a right to say no.
Life of the Land is often the sole community intervenor in numerous Public Utilities Commission proceedings involving power purchase agreements and fuel supply contracts. We ask hard questions and have stopped bad projects.
Proposed solutions must be evaluated by considering numerous criteria: will electric bills increase or decrease, and by how much, how will the proposed solutions impact the electric grid, will they play well with other renewable resources, how will they impact reliability and resilience, are they community friendly, what are the cumulative impacts, and what is a worse case scenario involving extreme weather events including wildfires?
Life of the Land is the only intervenor in the Public Utilities Commission`s review of the HECO Fire Mitigation Plan. Before the plan is approved, HECO must demonstrate that it meets numerous community, equity, technical, and reliability requirements that significantly reduce the risk of fire in a cost-effective way.
A reasonable portfolio package of new renewable energy resources must account for technology, finance, community, and impacts. It is not when one person says, I know this answer, trust me, I have no data or analysis to back up my position, but I am right. Public Utilities Commission regulations require that the party proposing something has the burden of proof justifying it.
Hawai`i is different. The solution for Hawai`i will not be the solution for continents.
Continental transmission and distribution electric grids are fundamentally different in multiple ways from isolated island transmission and distribution grids.
Continental utilities are part of super-grids that occupy large parts of North America, Europe, and Asia. New York City`s electric grid is part of a super-grid that provides electricity for 240,000,000 people in Canada and the United States.
Besides the size of the system, continental grids are traditionally powered by coal, gas, and nuclear power while islands are historically powered by petroleum.
Continental systems and island systems have different grid structures, ramping issues, interconnection issues, reliability and resilience.
Continental systems have economies of scale and many delivery methods (trucks, railroads, ships) while Hawaii is distant from everything.
Aviation is also very different. Depending on what one includes, greenhouse gas emissions associated with aviation account for 2-4% percent of all global GHG emissions but 25-60% of all of Hawaii`s GHG emissions.
In conclusion, firm renewable energy is needed to be part of a 100% net negative energy system of the future. Everyone must gain from the processes, programs, and projects that are implemented to achieve this goal.