UPC Wind, DOE to study wind power in Maui

UPC Wind Partners LLC, a Newton-based wind farm development company, has signed a deal with the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to study the integration of wind technology into the Hawaii utility system, officials report.

As part of the agreement, the DOE's NREL will establish a remote research affiliate partner site at UPC's Kaheawa Wind Farm in West Maui. It is the first such partner site for the National Renewable Energy Laboratory's wind technology program outside of its base in Colorado, according to UPC.

The Maui site will collaborate with UPC Wind on studies to develop advanced wind energy technologies, including energy storage and integration of renewable electricity into Maui's existing electrical grids. The goal, officials say, is to help the industry reduce the cost of energy so that wind can compete with traditional energy sources.

Wind energy is one of several technologies being investigated as part of the Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative, which aims to have 70 percent of the archipelago's energy come from clean, renewable sources by 2030.

Founded in 2001, privately held UPC Wind also operates offices in Maine, Vermont, New York, Pennsylvania, California, Oregon and Hawaii. The company is responsible for a number of projects locally, including the ongoing project on Mars Hill in Maine.

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