Kauai to be home for state's largest solar project

The nonprofit Kauai Island Utility Cooperative and the Homestead Community Development Corp. announced the selection of a California company to build what would be the state's largest photovoltaic project.

REC Solar will build the 12-megawatt project on a Hawaiian Home Lands parcel in Anahola on the island's northeast side. The project is expected to generate enough power to supply 3,600 homes. Solar generating capacity either planned or installed on Kauai totals 20 megawatts.

"When the project is successfully developed, KIUC will have more photovoltaic concentration than any utility in the U.S.," said David Bissell, KIUC president and CEO.

Most of KIUC's generation still comes from fossil fuels, but the consumer-owned company has worked to expand its portfolio of renewable technologies. The utility has a combined 17 megawatts of photovoltaic and biomass-fired generation projects under power purchase agreements. About 35 megawatts of hydropower projects are being considered, according to KIUC.