1/23/26 – NEW LEASE APPROVED FOR KAHEAWA WIND POWER I

NEW LEASE APPROVED FOR KAHEAWA WIND POWER I

HONOLULU – The Board of Land and Natural Resources (BLNR) has unanimously approved a new, 25-year lease for Kaheawa Wind Power I, allowing the continued operation of the existing wind energy facility in West Maui.

The wind farm, which has been producing renewable energy since 2006, is situated in the Kaheawa Pastures area and occupies approximately 200 acres of state land.

Kaheawa Wind Power I has 20 wind turbines with a total capacity of 30 megawatts, enough to power about 17,000 Maui homes each year. The new lease allows for the continued use of the site, but does not permit expansion or new turbines.

The lease includes about six months for turbine refurbishment, a 20-year operational period and up to two years for decommissioning. Rent is $300,000 annually, or 3.5% of annual gross revenue, whichever is higher. After 10 years, rent will be reappraised for fair market value for the next 10-year period.

As part of the approval, the BLNR also confirmed the Division of Forestry and Wildlife’s (DOFAW) authority to manage the entrance area to the project site.

Environmental review requirements for the project have been completed. In December 2025, the board accepted the Final Environmental Impact Statement for the continued use of Kaheawa Wind Power I, finding it compliant with applicable law and adequately disclosing environmental impacts. Before voting on the lease approval, the BLNR approved its Habitat Conservation Plan and the issuance of an Incedental Take License as recommended by DOFAW.

Revenue from the lease will continue to fund the state’s Special Land and Development Fund, which helps subsidize DLNR programs statewide. “This decision supports Hawaiʻi’s long-term renewable energy goals and the responsible management of public lands,” said DLNR Acting Chair Ryan Kanakaʻole. “Lease revenue from this project plays an important role in the department’s ability to sustain conservation and resource management projects throughout Hawaiʻi.”

The meeting was conducted on Maui in accordance with state law. BLNR actions on renewable energy lease proposals are required to take place on the island where the public lands involved are located.

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RESOURCES

(All images/video courtesy: DLNR)

Photographs – Kaheawa Wind Power: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/r490selz1xncu2yb0oi2q/AKYPHZ2MshT-EmgmRIHp3Ys?rlkey=31ty9jzo0speviskc829htbjr&st=d19eajw3&dl=0

Video – Kaheawa Wind Power aerials: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/udrm9hp8ji65rx5yoczle/Kaheawa-Wind-Power.mp4?rlkey=pqelggde4v7ogtaxqu89c3zkq&st=1zlrz10j&dl=0

Media Contact: 

Patti Jette

Communications Specialist

Hawai‘i Dept. of Land and Natural Resources

Email: [email protected]