1. Assessing Hawaii’s Hydropower Development Potential:
Conventional and Ocean Energy Alternatives
Hawaii Pacific GIS Conference 2012
Honolulu Convention Center, March 5th 2012

2. Study Purpose and Overview 1
● State-Wide Assessment (Reconnaissance Level)
● Partners:
 USACE Honolulu District (Deborah Solis, PM)
 Dept. of Business Economic Development and Tourism
(DBEDT)
 EA Engineering + Helber Hastert & Fee Planners Joint
Venture
 Hawaii National Marine Renewable Energy Center at UH
● Initiated in 2009
 100% Federally funded
● Tool for developers & decision makers

3. History of Traditional Hydro in Hawaii 2
- Most geographically remote
major island chain in the
world
- Long history of traditional
hydro in Hawaii
- Sugar mills
- Ditch systems
Photos: Wilcox (1998)

4. Current Energy Portfolio 3
HYDRO
● Most fossil fuel
dependent state
in the nation
● 90% of energy
BIOMASS
needs supplied
by imported oil
COAL
● Spend as much
as $7 billion
PETROLEUM
annually outside
the islands to
meet energy
needs

5. Project Elements – Traditional Hydro 4
Update 1981 report and provide ‘snapshot’ of
hydroelectric power in Hawaii
Desktop review of traditional hydro plants:
- Presently operating
- Once operational
- Proposed in the past but never built

6. Screening Criteria - Hydropower 5
Environmental
Endangered Species/Critical Habitat
Conservation Districts
Economic
Commercial/tourism use
Capacity
Calculated Incremental Energy Cost
Accessibility/transmission lines
Social
Cultural Impacts
Water Sports
Recreational use
Federal Interest

7. Determination of Power Potential & Costs 6
Incremental Incremental Hydraulic
Category Annual Power Head and Site Coordinates
Energy Capacity Average Flow
1 Database Not Needed Not Needed Not Needed
2 Calculated Database Not Needed Not Needed Industry-standard
3 Calculated Calculated Database Not Needed conversions
4 Calculated Calculated Calculated Database
5 Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown
GIS

8. 7

9. 8

10. 9

11. 10

12. 11

13. 12
Potential for web interface,
hosted by DBEDT, mid-2012

14. Project Elements – Ocean Energy 13
• General review of
resource potential for
ocean energy in
Hawaii
• Consideration of
opportunities and
constraints in a
spatially explicit
context (e.g. low-level
marine spatial
planning)
• Hawaii is already a
leader in ocean
energy R&D

15. 14

16. 15

17. Marine Spatial Planning for Ocean Energy 16
VERSUS
RESOURCES CONSTRAINTS

18. 17

19. 18

20. Full Report Available – Includes: 19
- Report
- Excel database of existing, retired and proposed hydro
Geospatial data hosted by DBEDT mid-2012
For a copy:
1) See me after the presentation
2) http://www.poh.usace.army.mil/CW/CWProjects.htm#HIST
Contact:
Deborah Solis (USACE)
Deborah.A.Solis@usace.army.mil
808-438-0701
Mahalo for your time and interest!