The wind farm will be owned and operated by Auwahi Wind Energy, and will be capable of generating clean electricity equivalent to the amount used by 10,000 typical Maui homes.
The battery storage unit can store approximately 12MWh of wind energy generated by the project’s turbines during the typically windy morning and night hours.
This stored power will help to regulate and smooth intermittent wind power, providing a valuable source of grid stability for Maui Electric, the company said.
The wind facility is undergoing an environmental review by Maui County, state and federal agencies.
Construction at the facility is expected to start next year and the farm will be fully operational in late 2012.
Sempra Generation operates and maintains a fleet of clean, efficient natural gas-fueled power plants in the US. Maui Electric, a subsidiary of Hawaiian Electric, provides electricity to the Hawaiian islands.
