Shell said it chose the Ulupalakua Ranch site because of its powerful winds and because of its remoteness, lessening the visual impact of the wind turbines.
Shell said it chose the Ulupalakua Ranch site because of its powerful winds and because of its remoteness, lessening the visual impact of the wind turbines.
Shell WindEnergy, a subsidiary of the oil conglomerate, plans to spend $200 million building a huge wind farm on a remote corner of Maui.
John Hofmeister, president of Shell Oil Co., announced the Auwahi wind project at a news conference Friday in Honolulu with Gov. Linda Lingle and executives of Hawaiian Electric Co. and Ulupalakua Ranch Inc., which owns the 20,000-acre ranch at Upcountry Maui where the wind farm will be built.
The project will generate 40 megawatts of power and will test a new combination of wind power and "pumped hydro storage," a technology that stores power during off-peak periods for later use. Wind power will generate 20 percent of Maui's energy by 2008 if the first phase of Auwahi comes on line as …
... more [truncated due to possible copyright]Shell WindEnergy, a subsidiary of the oil conglomerate, plans to spend $200 million building a huge wind farm on a remote corner of Maui.
John Hofmeister, president of Shell Oil Co., announced the Auwahi wind project at a news conference Friday in Honolulu with Gov. Linda Lingle and executives of Hawaiian Electric Co. and Ulupalakua Ranch Inc., which owns the 20,000-acre ranch at Upcountry Maui where the wind farm will be built.
The project will generate 40 megawatts of power and will test a new combination of wind power and "pumped hydro storage," a technology that stores power during off-peak periods for later use. Wind power will generate 20 percent of Maui's energy by 2008 if the first phase of Auwahi comes on line as anticipated.
The project is a partnership between Shell and Renewable Hawaii Inc., a subsidiary of Hawaiian Electric Co., which is significantly expanding its renewable energy efforts. It is expected to take at least five years to complete.
Shell said it chose the Ulupalakua Ranch site because of its powerful winds and because of its remoteness, lessening the visual impact of the wind turbines.