Longroad discusses wildfire mitigation, engagement and Hawaiian Electric RFP

Developer Longroad Energy held a virtual meeting Tuesday on the Pulehu Solar Project, one of the winners of Hawaiian Electric's Maui RFP. 

The Pulehu solar project is a 40 MW, 160 MWh solar-plus-storage project located on the island of Maui and would provide about 9 percent of Maui's electricity. The project was one of two selected on the island in an RFP process from utility Hawaiian Electric subsidiary Maui Electric (MECO), with expected commercial operation in 2023. The energy will be sold to HE through a 10-year PPA at a rate of 9.2 cents per kWh. 

As it forges ahead in the permitting and development process, Longroad hopes to prioritize community involvement. This is the second open meeting that the developer has held since July, the first of which resulted in moving the project back from the road as a result of community comments. 

"It’s important to try to get this project to fit as much as possible so that this is a project that people in the community are proud to have, and we want to be the company that listens and work with people that live here," said Wren Wescoatt of Longroad Energy. 

Community members expressed concerns about wildfire mitigation as the area experienced a large, 3,000-acre wildfire in 2019. Mitigation is on many people's minds in renewable energy following this year's massive fires on the West Coast and California. 

Wescoatt noted that Longroad was still in discussions for mitigation methods with MECO and the property owner. At present, the parties are considering methods such as a firetruck on-site or nearby, and flame-retardant vegetation. 

"We do want to take an integrated wildfire management approach to this, ongoing maintenance and looking for specifically where are the fire-prone areas and trying to see partnerships with the right folks," noted panelist Kawika McKeague, planning principle at G70. 

Wescoatt added that the wildfire risk was more reason to build the project.

"Fires have been more and more common in these areas, which is a good reminder of why renewable energy is so important," Wescoatt said. "As our climate changes, projects like these, it's not the quick answer but it's the long-term answer for how we help to turn that around. Wildfires are a reason to build more solar projects, not less." 

Residents also inquired about the possibility of expanding the project, seeing as developer Softbank Group pulled out of its Kamole Solar project also located in Maui after receiving preliminary approval from MECO. Given the specific requirements of the MECO RFP process, however, Wescoatt confirmed that Longroad would be unable to change the size of the project to meet the additional demand but added that Longroad is interested in a replacement project. 

"There’s a need for more energy so we’re hoping to be involved in that," he confirmed.