North Kohala Energy Storage RFP

Hawaiian Electric is seeking proposals for a standalone Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) for the North Kohala area on the island of Hawaii. The project aims to improve the reliability and resilience of electric service for customers in the North Kohala area, particularly when the 3300 line is not in service. The BESS will be sited at a Company Controlled Site consisting of 1.207 acres located along Akoni Pule Highway in Hawi Village, North Kohala (a portion of TMK (3)5-5-002: 023).

The RFP process included multiple development phases starting with a Draft RFP filed October 29, 2021, followed by a Technical Status Conference on September 30, 2021, and a stakeholder meeting on September 2, 2021. The proposed final RFP was filed February 28, 2023, and the RFP was opened for bid acceptance on March 24, 2023. The original bid submission deadline was May 31, 2023, with proposals submitted through the Electronic Procurement Platform (Sourcing Intelligence), event 140384.

Key dates included: Technical Status Conference on September 30, 2021; Site visit opportunity on May 9, 2023 at 10:00 AM HST at the Akoni Pule site (approximately 1 hour from Kona International Airport and 2 hours from Hilo International Airport); Questions and answers logged during site visits and Q&A periods; and bid submissions accepted through May 31, 2023. The RFP was subsequently closed without an award on August 29, 2023, and the docket was terminated by the Public Utilities Commission via Order 40645 on March 6, 2024.

Proposers were required to register on the Electronic Procurement Platform (Sourcing Intelligence), request access to the RFP event via email, and submit complete proposals. The RFP documents included the RFP body, site descriptions, interconnection facilities information, and a model Energy Storage Services Agreement (ESSA). System impact study consultants were made available to assist with modeling and interconnection studies.