Honolulu ordered to fund 3.1MW PV plant for air pollution violations

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email

Authorities in Hawaii’s capital, Honolulu, have been ordered to finance a US$16 million solar system as a penalty for failing to curb air pollution from a city landfill site.

The US Environmental Protection Agency said the City and County of Honolulu had not installed the necessary measures to collect and control methane and other air pollutants from its Kapaa landfill site by a 2002 deadline.

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Try Premium for just $1

  • Full premium access for the first month at only $1
  • Converts to an annual rate after 30 days unless cancelled
  • Cancel anytime during the trial period

Premium Benefits

  • Expert industry analysis and interviews
  • Digital access to PV Tech Power journal
  • Exclusive event discounts

Or get the full Premium subscription right away

Or continue reading this article for free

Although a control system was eventually fitted in 2013, the EPA said in the interim substantial quantities of hazardous pollutants had escaped from the site, necessitating the penalty.

“Air emissions from a closed landfill are toxic, and can contribute to global warming,” said Jared Blumenfeld, EPA’s administrator for the Pacific Southwest. “If the proper systems had been in place at the landfill, over 343,000 tons of methane, and 6,800 tons of hazardous air pollutants and volatile organics would not have escaped to the atmosphere.”

In the settlement imposed by the EPA, Honolulu authorities will have to fund the solar project and pay a US$875,000 cash penalty.

The EPA said the project would involve the installation of solar arrays totalling 3.1MW on 50,000 square feet of buildings and open space area at the city’s waste-to-energy H-POWER facility by 2020.

“This settlement holds Honolulu accountable for past failures to collect and control toxic gases and greenhouse gas emissions from the Kapaa Landfill, but it also lays the foundation for better environmental stewardship in the future,” said assistant attorney general John C. Cruden for the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “Residents who call Oahu home will realise the benefits of this agreement – which includes clean solar power production and reduced reliance on fossil fuels – for many years to come.”

Read Next

September 12, 2025
Colombian energy supplier Celsia is seeking more than US$1.2 billion in investment to build wind and solar generation projects in Peru. 
September 12, 2025
German trade association BSW-Solar has called the German government for a simplified, standardised and more digitalised grid access for solar PV and energy storage operators.
September 12, 2025
ACME Venus Urja has secured INR3.8 billion (US$43 million) to develop and construct a solar-plus-storage project in Barmer, Rajasthan.
Premium
September 12, 2025
Vote Solar's Sean Garren tells PV Tech Premium that Georgia Power's latest IRP is 'skewed so heavily towards fossil fuels'.
September 11, 2025
Founder Group has won a RM10 million (US$2.3 million) engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning contract for a 30MW solar plant in Malaysia.
September 11, 2025
German renewable energy developer ib vogt has signed a 70MW solar PV virtual power purchase agreement (vPPA) in Romania.

Subscribe to Newsletter

Upcoming Events

Solar Media Events
September 16, 2025
Athens, Greece
Solar Media Events
September 30, 2025
Seattle, USA
Solar Media Events
October 1, 2025
London, UK
Solar Media Events
October 2, 2025
London,UK
Solar Media Events
October 7, 2025
Manila, Philippines