Hawaiian Electric Says It Might Pull The Plug On Giant Battery .. Regulators gave the green light to the project, which they say is needed to keep Oahu’s lights on, but with conditions the company opposes.
Hawaiian Electric might pull the plug on a proposed energy storage project designed to help replace a coal-burning power plant that is Oahu’s largest single source of electricity, the company said in response to an order from regulators allowing the storage project to go forward but with numerous conditions.
The large energy storage system, essentially a giant battery, would help ensure Oahu has a stable supply of electricity when AES Corp. closes its coal plant late next year.
But regulators have expressed concerns that Hawaiian Electric intends to charge the battery with electricity produced by oil-fired power plants and not renewable resources.
