West Wind Works wants to put up 10 wind turbines for a project it's calling Na Pua Makani, which is expected to generate 25 megawatts of renewable energy.

The proposed site consists of 232 acres in Koolauloa near the Kahuku Agricultural Park and the abandoned Kahuku Airfield on Oahu's North Shore.

Last month, the state Board of Land and Natural Resources withdrew the 232 acres from the Kahuku Agricultural Park, and approved in principle a direct lease to West Wind for a wind farm. The board also approved a right of entry to allow the company to conduct tests on the site, which is adjacent to land where UPC Wind plans to develop a 30-megawatt wind farm.

West Wind already has built a meteorological tower to test wind patterns in the area. The proposed turbines would be 410 feet at their highest point.

The company is now seeking several permits from the Department of Land and Natural Resources, including construction-related approvals and another for a habitat-conservation plan.

In its permit applications, the company admits that native plants would be directly impacted by construction, a network of access roads and buried power lines.

"As much as possible, these impacts would be mitigated through careful placement of the turbines, routing of underground power lines and replanting of disturbed native plants," the company said.

West Wind estimates that at full capacity the energy generated by the wind farm could reduce the state's dependency on imported oil by 147,000 barrels annually.

Keith Avery, president of West Wind, noted that the company was involved in the initial feasibility study for the Kaheawa wind farm on Maui, and that past talks with the Kahuku Community Association and neighborhood boards were positive.

Hawaiian Electric Co. spokesman Peter Rosegg said HECO is aware of the project, but declined to say whether the utility is considering buying power from West Wind.

"We are in the midst of selecting projects in response to a request for proposals for up to 100 megawatts of renewable energy for Oahu and there are confidentiality requirements to protect the competitive bidding process," he said.

West Wind's proposed Kahuku project is near the site where Hawaiian Electric Co. built the state's first wind farm. HECO abandoned it in the early 1990s because of technical problems that plagued similar projects at the time.