Hawaiian Electric May Have To Build A New Oil-Fired Power Plant On Maui … The shutdown of a spare parts supplier in Japan is threatening the ability of Maui’s electric utility to keep a series of 1980s generators firing.
A looming lack of spare parts may force Hawaiian Electric to build a whole new power plant on Maui if it can’t find another supplier or alternative solution.
In March, Hawaiian Electric alerted the state Public Utilities Commission about the unexpected shutdown of a Japanese parts supplier that appears to be the sole manufacturer of spare parts required to keep four oil-burning Mitsubishi generators at the island’s Maalaea power plant running smoothly.
Installed in the 1980s, these diesel-powered engines are capable of meeting nearly a quarter of Maui’s peak demand for electricity, according to Jim Kelly, spokesman for Hawaiian Electric, which powers 95% of the state’s 1.4 million residents on Oahu, Maui, Molokai, Lanai and the Big Island.
