Forest City Hawaii and Hawaiian Electric Co. have entered into a power purchase agreement for up to 1 MW of solar power to be generated at the Kapolei Sustainable Energy Park in Kapolei, Oahu. Hoku Solar, a subsidiary of Hoku Corp., will design and install the project using more than 4,200 solar panels atop a concrete racking system.
The 12-acre site near the James Campbell Industrial Park was, until 1986, an industrial disposal site. Under an order from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, dumping was halted and the site sealed under a plastic liner and asphalt. Because the cap must be undisturbed, the site has been unusable until the James Campbell Co. proposed that it be used for a solar plant, according to Hoku.
The contract is subject to approval by the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission with input from Consumer Advocate. Hoku says its goal is for the project to be operational by the end of 2011, subject to regulatory approval.
