Solar permitting — Maui County, Hawaii
On file: public meetings, court cases.
Moderate grid saturation on MECO Maui system; Molokai and Lanai very constrained small island grids; Lahaina fire recovery adds policy uncertainty;… Permitting: Maui County Planning Commission CUP for utility-scale in Agricultural…
Key driver: Moderate grid saturation on MECO Maui system; Molokai and Lanai very constrained small island grids; Lahaina fire recovery adds policy uncertainty; otherwise supportive environment.
Permitting process
Local permitting pathway
Maui County Planning Commission CUP for utility-scale in Agricultural (A-1) or Rural (R-1) zones. State LUC boundary amendment for reclassification. Post-Lahaina wildfire, some west Maui areas have temporary land use restrictions.
Setbacks & buffers
Maui County Code Title 19 (Zoning) setbacks apply. Utility-scale projects require CUP from Maui Planning Commission. Lahaina Fire recovery zone may restrict certain land uses temporarily.
Spacing requirements
None codified.
Size restrictions
MECO grid capacity limits on Maui and neighbor islands (Molokai, Lanai).
Penalties & bonding
No penalties or adjustments. Standard CUP/SUP process.
State-level permits & approvals
Maui County Planning Commission CUP for utility-scale. State LUC boundary amendment if reclassifying agricultural/conservation land. Chapter 343 HRS environmental review. MECO interconnection study and PPA via RFP process. Special Management Area (SMA) permit for coastal-zone projects. Post-Lahaina temporary restrictions in designated recovery zones.
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State policy & grid context
State RPS & clean energy policy
100% by 2045 | Act 97 (2015) | Haw. Rev. Stat. §269-91 et seq.
State incentive programs
Hawaii State RPS 100% by 2045. State tax credit 35% of cost. MECO CGS tariff (post-NEM) per PUC order. Green infrastructure financing. USDA REAP for agricultural solar on Molokai and Lanai.
Grid & interconnection
Maui Electric Company (MECO) — HECO subsidiary; separate island grids for Maui, Molokai, and Lanai
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Battery storage (BESS) P1 State-Default Permitting
No confirmed county BESS ordinance.
BESS ordinances & bylaws
Tracked storage projects
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County-level battery-storage status, safety requirements, and projects — each linked to a primary source.
Community opposition P1
No organized opposition on record for this county yet — no petition, group, or oppositional coverage tracked. Read that as nothing found, not as nothing there: absence of records is not evidence of local support.
Subscriber intel Subscribers
Researched for this county and available with a subscription:
- Project track record
- Developer intelligence
- Governing board
- Litigation & legal challenges
Energy-related meetings & dockets P1
Halo color matches the energy category tagged on each meeting.
- 2026-09-08 Planning CommissionData Center
Maui County Council proposes amending development standards within the Maui Research & Technology Park District
- 2026-09-08 OtherData Center
A proposed bill to amend Chapter 19.38, Maui County Code, relating to the Maui Research & Technology Park District.
- 2026-07-14 Planning CommissionBESS
on behalf of AES KUIHELANI SOLAR PHASE 2, LLC and MP WEST LLC for the proposed construction and oper ation of the Kūihelani Solar Phase 2 Project, a 40‐ megawatt (MW) ground‐ mounted solar photovoltaic and 160 MW -hour (MWh) battery energy
- 2026-07-14 OtherBESS
on behalf of AES KUIHELANI SOLAR PHASE 2, LLC and MP WEST LLC for the proposed construction and operation of the Kūihelani Solar Phase 2 Project, a 40-megawatt (MW) ground -mounted solar photovoltaic and 160 MW-hour (MWh) battery energy sto
- 2026-07-09 OtherBESS
Continued planning efforts for the Isolated Communities Program, including battery storage and infrastructure development.
- 2026-05-26 Planning CommissionBESS
The Maui County Planning Commission voted to approve a special-use permit for KUIHELANI SOLAR PHASE 2, LLC to construct and operate a 40 MW ground-mounted solar photovoltaic system and 160 MWh battery energy storage system.
- 2026-05-26 OtherBESS
DIAS:· Thank you, Chair.· First item ·3· of the day is Kuihelani Solar Phase 2, LLC, ·4· requesting a County Special Use Permit and State ·5· Special Permit to construct and operate the ·6· Kuihelani Solar Phase 2 Project, an approximately
- 2026-05-20 OtherData Center
Zoning is important for conserving and stabilizing property values by informing neighbors about future developments.
- 2026-04-22 Planning CommissionSolar
Request for SMA exemption for installation of photovoltaic solar on County facilities on Molokaʻi
- 2026-04-22 OtherBESS
County officials voted to approve the addition of resilient batteries to a project.
- 2026-03-03 OtherSolar
The solar project's sustainability features were discussed.
- 2026-02-25 OtherData Center
Planning Commission must modify zoning regulations in two districts to comply with State law.
- 2026-01-06 OtherSolar
County officials discussed a solar project, noting existing photovoltaic installations and materials used.
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State PSC dockets P1
No tracked activity yet — coverage expands weekly.
Local news P3
No tracked activity yet — coverage expands weekly.
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