Hawaii to close its only coal-fired plant

• 1 year, 7 months ago (2022-09-01)
• David Flin

Coal 274

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Hawaii closes its only coal-fired power plant on 1 September, a step towards transitioning the US state entirely to renewable energy by 2045. The AES power plant has been in operation since 1992 on the island of Oahu, where it had been providing 20 per cent of the island’s power.

Scott Glenn, Hawaii’s chief energy officer, said: “It’s a major milestone. It’s our end of the use of coal in Hawaii after 150 years.”

In recent years, the state has started several renewable energy projects, including 14 solar, battery, or geothermal projects scheduled to start operation by 2024. The 39 MW Mililani I Solar project on Oahu came online in July.

Until 2024, Hawaii will still be dependent on oil-fired power generation, which will replace the output from the AES plant. Glenn said that the state will close some of the oil-fired power plants as more renewable energy capacity comes online.