First Wind to Develop Hawaii’s Largest Wind Farm

By Liviu Oltean, Associate Editor

First Wind and Hawaiian Electric Co. recently received approval from the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission to develop the largest wind farm project in the state, the Pacific Business News reports.

The Kawailoa Wind Farm will be developed on the North Shore of Oahu, on land belonging to the Kamehameha Schools, and it will feature 30 Siemens SWT2.3-101 wind turbines, each of them capable of generating 2.3 megawatts. The acquisition of the turbines represents the wind energy company’s first collaboration with Siemens.

“The proposed Kawailoa Wind project will join our Maui-based Kaheawa Wind Power and Oahu-based Kahuku Wind project, and will further assist Hawaii in meeting its clean energy goals,” said Paul Gaynor, CEO of First Wind.

Similar to the company’s other initiatives in Hawaii, Kawailoa Wind will establish a Habitat Conservation Plan, which will help maintain the habitat of the native species that might be influenced by the development of the project.

According to an official press release, the 69 MW Kawailoa Wind project is designed to provide renewable energy to approximately 14,500 Oahu homes. The development phase is set to begin in December, and is expected to be completed by the end of 2012.

In regional news, A&B Properties has put up for sale the residential units of Waihonua at Kewalo, a 43-story high-rise tower, which features 345 one-to-three bedroom residences.

The price of a unit starts at about $400,000 for one-bedroom, one-bath apartments; $565,000 for two-bedroom, two-baths apartments; and $720,000 for three-bedroom, two-bath apartments.

Waihonua at Kewalo was developed by Kewalo Development LLC, a subsidiary of A&B Properties, in collaboration with Hawaii-based Design Partners Inc. and architectural consultant, Pappageorge Haymes of Chicago. Throughout the sale of the residential units, Heyer & Associates will act as the project’s exclusive broker.

Image courtesy of merfam, via Flickr