Hawaiian Electric is moving ahead with plans to add more firm renewable power to Maui's energy grid.
The utility chose Ameresco Inc. to develop a biofuel-powered generator. The facility would be built on HECO property at Waena, across from the Central Maui Landfill.
The project is part of HECO's push to diversify its energy portfolio with more firm power.
While intermittent resources like wind and solar are only available under certain conditions, firm power is available all of the time.
For the first time last year, the utility had put out requests for firm power project proposals for Oʻahu and Maui.
It hopes to have this new firm capacity online to serve Maui customers by 2027, ahead of the retirement of the island's older fossil fuel burning plants.
