hawaii

Silver Spring Networks, a leading smart grid networking platform and solutions provider,  has been selected by Maui Electric Company (MECO) and the Hawaii Natural Energy Institute at the University of Hawaii (HNEI) to deploy a strategic and innovative smart grid project  on the island of  Maui. The project will test the effectiveness of smart grid technologies in helping MECO and its customers reach and exceed the State of Hawaii’s goal of meeting 70% of its energy needs with clean energy by 2030. 

The entire energy sector eyes are on Hawaii’s second largest island of Maui.  The island's electricity provider Maui Electric Company (MECO) and the Hawaii Natural Energy Institute at the University of Hawaii (HNEI) said they want to reduce their dependency on imported Diesel Oil.  Currently 15 percent of the island’s electricity is generated by renewable energy and they have set themselves an ambitious target of increasing this number to 70 percent by the year 2030. Therefore, Maui Island has become a test bed for the latest in smart grid technologies under a Japanese-businesses and US joint partnership.

A group of U.S. and Japan companies comprising of Hitachi, Mizuho Bank, Hewlett-Packard Japan, JFE Engineering and Cyber Defense Institute have been selected as contractors for joint "Project" collaboration supporting a world-leading Smart Grid project on Maui, a Hawaiian island that will serve as the Project site. The Project will be spearheaded by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization ("NEDO"). Hitachi will take a leading role and coordinate the entire project, serving as the project leader.