Hawaiian Electric is starting contract negotiations with developers of 15 renewable energy projects across the state that will “further reduce Hawaii’s dependence on imported oil for power generation,” the company announced.

The projects, which span Oahu, Hawaii island and Maui, include firm renewable generation technology, which produces clean electricity regardless of weather conditions. The projects fall under the company’s most recent phase of renewable energy procurement, which began in November 2021 on Hawaii island and May 2022 for Oahu and Maui. They are expected to produce “long-term contracts for approximately 517 megawatts of variable generation, 654 megawatts of firm generation and 2.1 gigawatt-hours of storage,” according to a news release Friday.

Seven of the projects are located on Oahu, four on Hawaii island and four on Maui. They span a “variety of renewable energy resources and project design types,” including firm (biofuel) projects, solar-plus- storage projects, and one wind project. The projects’ expected completion dates vary, and range from 2026 to 2033.

Four firm projects are located on Oahu and one firm project is located on Hawaii island. Proposals for firm projects on Maui are being handled separately, according to the release, and the final selection is set for next January. Firm renewable energy is available at all times, differing from solar and wind resources, which previous solicitations have focused on. The procurement of firm generation “seeks to broaden the future generation mix to ensure the islands have a diverse portfolio of generation resources,” the company said.

“These projects will help move Hawaii closer to its clean energy goals, while adding critical grid reliability with firm renewable energy,” Rebecca Dayhuff Matsushima, vice president of Resource Procurement for Hawaiian Electric, said in the announcement. “Adding energy storage and generation from firm renewables to our portfolio will make it easier for Hawaiian Electric to retire older, less flexible fossil fuel-fired plants.”

Projects include the Waiau Repower Project and the Kalaeloa Partners Project on Oahu, which aim to shift facilities from using imported fossil fuels to bio­fuels; and the Waiau Project at Hawaiian Electric’s Pearl City site, which aims to use renewable gas or hydrogen when it becomes commercially available. The Hama­kua Firm Renewable Project on Hawaii island would also shift the dual-fuel plant to biofuel.

Hawaiian Electric also accepted bids for projects utilizing variable renewable dispatchable energy, referring to energy that can be used when the company decides.

As the company enters contract negotiations with the project developers, the developers will begin outreach to the communities in which they plan to build. For the first time, Hawaiian Electric required developers to submit “community outreach and benefit plans” to be evaluated alongside technical and financial criteria. Additionally, developers were required to set aside at least $3,000 per megawatt of generation capacity annually for community benefits, to be used “for actions and programs aimed at addressing specific needs identified by the host community.”

After the contracts are finalized, they will be submitted to the Public Utilities Commission for review and approval.

More information on each of the projects can be found online at Hawaiian Electric’s Renewable Project Status Board.