Makana Lā Solar

Makana Lā, meaning "Sun's Gift", is a utility-scale solar and battery storage power plant
Makana Lā area

Project Overview

Makana Lā Solar is a thoughtfully-sited 80 MW photovoltaic facility with a 6-hour battery (480 MWh) that will provide low-cost renewable energy to the grid for 20 years at a fixed annual price.The project will make clean energy available to the grid after the sun goes down when demand for electricity peaks. 

Makana Lā Solar will generate enough clean energy to power over 19,600 homes.

Community Outreach

Clearway is focused on carefully informing and engaging with neighboring communities and stakeholders about the project scope, the project benefits, the development and governmental process, as well providing the community with timely information throughout all phases of the Makana Lā Solar project, giving the community an opportunity to engage and weigh-in on the project. Clearway plans to connect with the community through early talk story meetings with community members as well as Town Hall meetings, presentations to neighborhood boards, and other outreach channels as the project progresses.

Community Benefit Package

Investing in the Community

Community Benefit Fund

  • The community benefit funds will be spent on local projects, donated to local non-profits, and directed by the community, with a focus on education, community empowerment, and workforce development.

Lower Costs & Reliable Power

  • Providing a fixed price of power contributing to reduced rate volatility.
  • Providing battery energy storage that provides resiliency to the grid and allows the projects to continue providing solar energy to the grid after the sun goes down when loads peak.

Environmental Compliance and Permitting Plan

Makana Lā Solar has been designed with careful consideration of the permitting requirements related to the land use of the project site, as well as the potential environmental, biological, archaeological, cultural and aesthetic impacts of the Project. The project site is well-studied due to extensive investigation for prior proposed wind farms (by Hawaiian Electric, Sempra, and Eurus) and as such the current conceptual design is well informed, yet adaptable to community input. The site plan takes into account the information gathered from these extensive prior studies on biological and archaeological features of the area, as well as grading, drainage, hydrology, erosion control, civil costs, utilities, access, and lot coverage.

Wildfire Prevention and Mitigation

The dry, uncultivated mountains above O'ahu’s Leeward shoreline have long been susceptible to wildfires. From the start of planning for the  Makana Lā project, Clearway has taken wildfire mitigation carefully into account, working with landowners, the Honolulu Fire Department and City and County of Honolulu to ensure the project can help prevent wildfires, slow their spread if they happen and extinguish them as quickly as possible.

In discussing wildfire prevention, the Hawai'i Wildfire Management Organization suggests: “Create multi-purpose buffers that protect developments along Wildland-Urban Interface(WUI) boundaries. These can include greenspaces, solar farms, gardens, parks, etc., that help a community achieve multiple goals simultaneously.”

A solar facility creates a fire break of open space with managed vegetation that can slow the spread of wildfires. Our facility’s roads and open corridors can provide access for firefighters and other emergency responders. Our solar facility may also use remote monitoring with cameras and other surveillance systems, which could provide advance warning of danger. 

We are also looking at ways to create green firebreaks using native plants to prevent fast-moving wildfires. We plan to work closely with local nonprofits to use native species to plant green firebreaks around and within the solar facility.

Tangible Emissions Impact

This 80MW Solar Project Would Replace Fossil Fuels Equivalent to

2.5B
Pounds of coal burned
5.2M
Barrels of oil consumed
5.8B
Miles driven by average gas-powered passenger vehicle
256M
Gallons of gasoline consumed
Over a 20 year PPA term of this project. Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator | US EPA

Tell us what you think

We want to hear from you. Please send questions, comments, or ideas about the Makana Lā Solar Project.

Makana Lā location