Plus Power’s Kapolei battery is officially online. The pioneering project is a leading example of how to shift crucial grid functions from fossil-fueled plants to clean energy.
We were shocked to read that Hawaiian Electric may have to build a whole new power plant on Maui solely because the company that supplies spare parts for its Maalaea power plant generators unexpectedly shut down.
Hawaiian Electric says the four diesel-powered engines, which are capable of supplying nearly a quarter of the island’s electricity, require new parts every two and a half years as part of routine maintenance, and no other manufacturer appears able to provide those parts.
The company has enough spare parts for now but is scrambling to determine how it will keep Maui’s lights on when the engines need servicing in 2027.
So we may be planning something similar. Not sure, haven’t seen updates, though I could have missed them.
I’m kind of amazed they’re not all-in on geothermal already. Abundant free energy seems like the only real benefit of cohabitating with volcanos. (My cards on the table, I don’t know anything about their reasons, just surprised they’re importing coal and diesel).
Well, on Maui that’s not as feasible, because such activity is now minimal and far underground, and has mostly moved to creating the big island.
Oahu is even less active than Maui, being farther back in the island creation path.
On the big island it would be more feasible with the active volcano, but would likely have to restrict it to capturing what you could from steam vents (which aren’t that plentiful, even around the volcano rim). Trying to build something over the areas active enough with lava would probably just be asking for the occasional eruption with ejected plumes destroying the investment. So solar and wind are still our better options because those resources are in excess without melting anything down.
I think the main reason that coal and oil were/are still being used is simply because that’s the working infrastructure that was already there. Wind turbines have been added to slowly replace part of the need, as well as solar on housing to reduce those residents’ bills and feed back into the grid, but the larger move to solar farms has (I believe) been waiting for the solar and battery tech to get better before spending our level of expense on it. And probably determining where to put farms that are large enough. There’s a lot of concern about placing such things on burial grounds, and on such small pieces of land it can be a challenge to find large suitable areas that don’t also contain ancestors. Hopefully here on Maui they’re planning to use part of the central valley for it now that cane is no longer grown, but idk.
Meanwhile, on Maui:
https://www.civilbeat.org/2022/05/maui-power-plant-woes-illustrate-need-for-sustainability/
So we may be planning something similar. Not sure, haven’t seen updates, though I could have missed them.
I’m kind of amazed they’re not all-in on geothermal already. Abundant free energy seems like the only real benefit of cohabitating with volcanos. (My cards on the table, I don’t know anything about their reasons, just surprised they’re importing coal and diesel).
Well, on Maui that’s not as feasible, because such activity is now minimal and far underground, and has mostly moved to creating the big island.
Oahu is even less active than Maui, being farther back in the island creation path.
On the big island it would be more feasible with the active volcano, but would likely have to restrict it to capturing what you could from steam vents (which aren’t that plentiful, even around the volcano rim). Trying to build something over the areas active enough with lava would probably just be asking for the occasional eruption with ejected plumes destroying the investment. So solar and wind are still our better options because those resources are in excess without melting anything down.
I think the main reason that coal and oil were/are still being used is simply because that’s the working infrastructure that was already there. Wind turbines have been added to slowly replace part of the need, as well as solar on housing to reduce those residents’ bills and feed back into the grid, but the larger move to solar farms has (I believe) been waiting for the solar and battery tech to get better before spending our level of expense on it. And probably determining where to put farms that are large enough. There’s a lot of concern about placing such things on burial grounds, and on such small pieces of land it can be a challenge to find large suitable areas that don’t also contain ancestors. Hopefully here on Maui they’re planning to use part of the central valley for it now that cane is no longer grown, but idk.
That’s great information, thank you for taking the time to write it up!