Hawaii

Plus Power's 565MWh 'shock absorber' BESS in Hawaii comes online

Published

2 years ago

January 11, 2024

Plus Power's 565MWh 'shock absorber' BESS in Hawaii comes online

It comprises 158 Tesla Megapacks configured into 135MW/540MWh for capacity and energy use cases and another 50MW/25MWh of additional capacity for ‘fast frequency response’ to help keep the grid stable.

Brandon Keefe, Plus Power’s executive chairman claimed: “It is the first time a battery has been used by a major utility to balance the grid: providing fast frequency response, synthetic inertia, and black start. This project is a postcard from the future – batteries will soon be providing these services, at scale, on the mainland.” 

The announcement said it will be acting “…as an electrical “shock absorber” (a function) often served by combustion-powered peaker plants”.

Another major energy storage project which has been described as such a “shock absorber” is the 850MW/1680MWh Waratah Super Battery in Australia which is being deployed by system integrator Powin.

KES, Hawaii’s biggest energy storage project, was approved in May 2021 and financing for it was achieved by Plus Power six months later.

Customer-sited solar power has become so abundant that Hawaiian Electric, the main utility in Hawaii, needs to regularly curtail – i.e. pay owners to turn off – utility-scale solar and wind to keep the electricity system in balance. 

The utility’s modelling has forecast that thanks to the KES project it will be able to reduce curtailment of renewables by 69% over the first five years of operation, integrate 10% more new utility-scale renewables than previously modelled, and allow for continued growth in customer-sited solar. It is also expected to reduce consumer electric bills by an average of US$0.28 per month over its 20-year contract life.

The utility has been busy progressing the US island state’s clean energy and energy storage development goals, starting negotiations with 2.1GWh of energy storage projects in December 2023 and in May unveiling a long-term renewables plan which included adding add more than 3.7GW of hybrid solar, energy storage and firm renewables by 2030.

Plus Power said that by June 2024 it will have some 1,325MW/3,500MWh of energy storage online across the US, including projects which were part of a US$1.8 billion fundraise it concluded in November, the largest seen in energy storage in 2023.

Energy-Storage.news’ publisher Solar Media will host the 5th Energy Storage Summit USA, 19-20 March 2024 in Austin, Texas. Featuring a packed programme of panels, presentations and fireside chats from industry leaders focusing on accelerating the market for energy storage across the country. For more information, go to the website.

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Hawaii

Magnitude 4.5 earthquake strikes off Hawaii island | Honolulu Star-Advertiser

Published

41 minutes ago

July 10, 2026

Press Room

Magnitude 4.5 earthquake strikes off Hawaii island | Honolulu Star-Advertiser

COURTESY USGS

This U.S. Geological Survey map shows the location of a magnitude 4.5 earthquake that struck off Hawaii island’s southwest coast Friday night.

A magnitude 4.5 earthquake struck off the southwest coast of Hawaii island Thursday night, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

The epicenter of the quake, which hit at 8:17 p.m., was about 34 miles west-southwest of Captain Cook at a depth of about 24 miles below sea level, USGS officials said. It did not generate a tsunami threat to the islands, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said.

USGS said in a statement that the earthquake “was related to bending of the ocean crust and upper brittle mantle (the lithosphere) by the weight of the islands.” No impact to the Mauna Loa volcano nor the ongoing Kilauea eruption was expected.

The USGS self-reported “Did you feel it?” online survey for the earthquake generated well over 200 responses, mostly on the Big Island but including several from Oahu and Maui.

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Hawaii

3 candidates to be considered for District 18 seat

Published

11 hours ago

July 10, 2026

Press Room

3 candidates to be considered for District 18 seat

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – The Democratic Party of Hawaii selected three nominees to fill the vacant Senate District 18 seat, serving Central Oahu, Mililani, Waipio and Waipahu, after Sen. Michelle Kidani’s retirement.

Kidani’s retirement took effect on June 30.

The party announced Thursday that Sechyi Laiu, Beth K Fukumoto, and Danielle Bass were submitted for selection to fill the seat.

Laiu is a senior Hawaii civil service administrator with more than 15 years of experience in commercial, family, immigration and legislative law. He is the litigation coordinator for the Hawaii Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and was a staff attorney for the city on transportation, public safety, legal affairs and salary compensation.

Fukumoto is a political columnist, longtime Miliani resident and former state representative. She served as vice chair of the House committees on Tourism and Veterans, Military and International Affairs and Culture and the Arts.

Bass is a fourth-generation, lifelong Miliani resident, with more than 20 years of experience serving Central Oahu and Hawaii. She served as Legislative and Committee Manager in the House and advanced sustainability and resilience initiatives and policies as the state’s sustainability coordinator.

The governor will choose one of the three to serve as the next state senator for Central Oahu.

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Hawaii

First 5 Hawaii is a comprehensive online resource that helps families with young children find and connect to state and federal programs and services.

Published

21 hours ago

July 9, 2026

Press Room

First 5 Hawaii is a comprehensive online resource that helps families with young children find and connect to state and federal programs and services.

Honolulu (KHON2) – Navigating the many programs and services available for young children can be overwhelming, but First 5 Hawaii is making it easier for families to find the support they need.

Designed for families with children from birth to age 5, First 5 Hawaii is the state’s first comprehensive online resource that helps connect parents and caregivers with state and federal programs they may qualify for.

By answering a few simple questions, families can quickly discover resources tailored to their specific needs.

The website serves as a one-stop shop, partnering with 18 state and federal programs to help connect families with services such as preschool, child care assistance, health coverage, nutrition programs including WIC and SNAP, parenting support, developmental screenings, and special needs services.

Parents can also explore age-appropriate activities, child development information, and helpful parenting resources.

What sets First 5 Hawaii apart is its personalized eligibility screening tool.

Instead of searching multiple websites and applying for programs one at a time, families can use a single resource to identify benefits they may qualify for across early learning, health care, nutrition, housing assistance, and more.

Even families who aren’t sure they qualify are encouraged to give it a try. The online eligibility screener is free, confidential, and only takes a few minutes to complete.

Many families are surprised to learn they may be eligible for programs they didn’t know existed.

By bringing trusted resources together in one convenient location, First 5 Hawaii helps remove barriers for busy parents and makes it easier to access services that support healthy child development during the most important early years of life.

To learn more or complete the eligibility screener, visit the First 5 Hawaii website.

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