USA - Hawaiian Electric offers wind data to renewable developers

Hawaiian Electric Co. is making available, free of charge to any interested wind energy developer, data collected about wind conditions and bird activities in the Kahuku area of Oahu's North Shore.

"While it is unusual for a package of valuable data to be offered for free, we want to do all we can to help encourage more renewable energy in Hawaii," says Karl Stahlkopf, Hawaiian Electric's senior vice president of energy solutions and chief technology officer. "This is especially important on Oahu, where we have the most customers but lack availability of some of the renewable resources found on the Neighbor Islands - such as geothermal and run-of-the-river hydro. Hawaiian Electric has diligently pursued wind resource assessment on Oahu, and we want to share the data."

The initial package includes wind data collected at different Kahuku sites in the 1980s and in 2007, along with an avian radar study.

All information is made available on an "as is" basis without warranties. After signing a registration form and non-exclusive license, interested developers will be sent the first of two CDs. The second CD, with additional wind data, will be offered in the spring 2008.

For more information go to heco.com.