Dive Brief:
Hawaiian Electric (HECO) is defending its role in ongoing and potential delays to planned renewables projects that are key to Hawaii s longer-term clean energy goals, following the state Public Utilities Commission s decision last month to take a closer look at the company s interconnection processes and plans to retire and replace fossil fuel plants.
Last year, concerns were raised during status conferences hosted by the commission that HECO s interconnection processes are causing unnecessary delays and increasing costs to renewables projects currently under development. But in a filing on Friday, HECO said that these are not solely attributable to the company, and depend also on developers and their consultants.