Project Summary

The region is considered an attainment area with good air quality. The project will contribute to significant reductions of power generation emissions such as sulfur dioxide, nitrous oxide and greenhouse gas by the replacement of older fossil-fueled units with modern technology that will run cleaner, quieter and fewer hours.

The landscaping/vegetation is minimal within the facility’s footprint to reduce wildfire risk, and ground cover is mainly pavement and gravel. No endangered or threatened plant species are present in the area where the new units will be installed, and no significant adverse impacts on flora or fauna are anticipated as a result of the project.

The project does not have the potential to alter regional airflow substantially and will not significantly increase the thermal signature of the area. The year-round temperate climate in Hawaii is due to its location in the Pacific and the island’s terrain influences rainfall. Northeasterly trade winds dominate in the project area. Wind gusts are moderate except when hurricanes pass nearby.

Most of the Waiau Power Plant facility is built on select fill placed at the site as part of its original development, and the naturally occurring soils in the area have been almost entirely capped or removed. Best management practices will be employed during construction and post-construction to reduce the already low potential for erosion and windborne dust, and to minimize the potential for project-related impacts to soil.

No significant impacts to topography or geography are anticipated. The topography of the project site already has undergone alteration during its long historical use as a power plant. The threat of volcanic activity to adversely affect the site is low and due to the project design requirements, there is no undue risk of failure caused by earthquakes.

The project site will not result in a change in the percent of impervious ground cover at Waiau Power Plant and does not have the potential to contribute additional storm water runoff.

The Waiau Power Plant is located in Flood Zone D, a rating which implies an area with minimal flood risk. Tsunamis pose a risk to many coastal areas on Oahu, however, due to its location along the protected estuarine coastline of East Loch, it is not a substantial risk to the Waiau Power Plant.

H-1 Freeway and Kamehameha Highway along with the generation-related equipment are two sources of noise in the project area. Construction activities associated with the project, such as backup alarms from trucks carrying equipment, may increase noise beyond the property line and require a construction noise permit. The permit will restrict excessive noise during nights, Sundays and holidays.

Roadway service levels and traffic will not be significantly affected by the project as oversized loads, fuel and other deliveries will be scheduled during off-peak hours to the extent possible. While moving oversized loads from the port of delivery to the project site may cause local traffic congestion, they will not be frequent, and the impacts will be temporary.

The project is intended to provide firm reliable power to Oahu homes and businesses, and will not increase the use of potable water or otherwise affect water facilities on the island. The facilities will use Hawaiian Electric’s own telecommunications network and would not burden the island’s existing network.

Waiau Power Plant is in use for electrical power generation and will continue to be used for that purpose once the proposed project is implemented. Aside from the temporary construction employment and expenditures, the project will not stimulate or promote population growth or economic activity. Therefore the project is not anticipated to have a significant effect on the socio-economic environment of the area.

Most of the new equipment and ancillary facilities would be installed inside existing buildings and enclosures, minimizing any change to the visual impact. However, current plans call for the addition of six, new stacks at the same height of the existing six stacks, which would remain in place. Consideration will be given to reduce or remove the existing stacks.

The disassembly and removal of the existing boilers and steam turbines will likely result in large quantities of recyclable material that would be transported to an offsite recycler and will not have a significant impact on solid waste collection activities or landfills. Day-to-day operation of the facility will not produce large volumes or unusual types of solid waste. All wastes generated will be collected and properly disposed.

Hawaiian Electric uses best management practices to handle or store hazardous materials, e.g., solvents, at the Waiau Power Plant. Although some work may involve minor quantities of hazardous materials, the proposed project will not result in the use or storage of a hazardous material not currently utilized at the generating station.

The proposed project does not represent a substantial change from its existing use of water from Pearl Harbor. Additionally, the project will not impact groundwater use, quality or recharge.

Best management practices will be employed during disassembly and construction of the proposed project to minimize or eliminate the potential for substantial impacts to water quality because of wind- or storm-borne particulates, chemicals or other matter entering surface water bodies in the vicinity.

Hawaiian Electric would modify its existing National Pollutant Discharge and Elimination System permit and continue to comply with the conditions of the permit which minimizes the potential for adverse impacts to water quality.

Fire protection is a fundamental aspect of the proposed project’s design, which will comply with the National Fire Protection Association’s recommendations, the Uniform Fire Code, local codes and other applicable fire protection regulations. Frequent fire inspections, site security, vegetation management and other safety protocols will further reduce fire risk.

The proposed project will be located in a fully secured area behind fencing and locked gates. Their presence will not impose a measurable burden on Honolulu Police Department’s Pearl City District 3. The site will be monitored by Hawaiian Electric which will dispatch security personnel if needed to investigate suspicious activity.

The proposed project does not pose a significant health risk. If needed, injured personnel can receive emergency medical attention at several nearby facilities, including Straub Pearlridge Clinic, Queen’s Medical Center West Oahu and Adventist Health Castle Urgent Care Pearl City.

The proposed project is not expected to have impact on local or regional recreation sources including the Pearl Harbor Historic Trail – a section which runs behind the Waiau Power Plant – or the Neal S. Blaisdell Park located nearby. The PHHT would continue to serve as a public recreational resource for bikers, walkers, joggers, birdwatchers, schoolchildren, and seniors as the proposed project will not require any new uses on the PHHT.

The proposed project is intended to create new, reliable, dispatchable generation capacity at Waiau Power Plant. By facilitating the decommissioning and removal of the existing aged units, the project will also provide a secondary benefit of allowing Hawaiian Electric to expand the proportion of renewable intermittent resources such as wind and solar in its total generation portfolio. In addition, the transition to combustion turbines also supports Hawaiian Electric’s goal of decarbonizing its generation fleet through retirements of fossil fueled units.