Hawaiian Electric dismisses LNG from its energy plans

The Hawaiian Electric Companies have not included liquefied natural gas as fuel for power generation in the near-term energy plans. 

Earlier in the year, Hawaiian Electric Companies withdrew its application for the approval of its LNG supply deal with Fortis Hawaii Energy, following the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission’s dismissal of the company’s merger with NextEra.

The company also cancelled its plans to upgrade Kahe Power Plant to use natural gas, however, it said that it will continue to pursue LNG opportunities in the future.

The latest energy plan charted near-term actions that are designed to lead to the use of renewable resources to meet 100 percent of Hawai’i’s power generation needs by 2045, the statement by the utility reads.

The plant forecasts the addition of 360 megawatts of grid‑scale solar, 157 megawatts of grid‑scale wind and 115 megawatts from programs known as Demand Response, as the company looks to expand its renewable energy portfolio.

While LNG remains a potential lower-cost bridge fuel to be evaluated, the companies’ priority is to continue replacing fossil fuel generation with renewables over the next five years as federal tax incentives for renewables begin to phase out, the statement reads.

 

LNG World News Staff