40.4

Risk Grade

Good

Moderate saturation risk on island grid (HELCO); volcanic hazard east side; otherwise strong pro-solar policy environment.

Assessment Snapshot

Population

201,513

State Rank

Compliance

35%

Trajectory

Moratorium Status

✓ No Active Moratorium

No Moratorium

Ordinance & Regulations

Setback Requirements

No county-specific solar setback ordinance above state building code requirements. Projects subject to County Planning Dept. Special Use Permit (SUP) conditions on case-by-case basis.

Zoning Mechanism

Agricultural (A) district SUP or SMA permit. Hawaii County Planning Commission reviews utility-scale applications. Lava zone hazard designations affect east side parcels.

Acreage Caps

None codified; Planning Commission may impose conditions.

Density Caps

None codified.

Spacing Rules

None codified.

Size Restrictions

None codified; large projects (>5 MW) subject to Chapter 343 EA/EIS review.

Board Sentiment & Political Risk

Sentiment Analysis

Generally supportive; Big Island has robust solar market driven by high electricity costs (HELCO) and state renewable mandate.

Basis for Assessment

Hawaii County Council and Planning Commission have been broadly supportive of utility-scale solar; volcanic hazard on east Puna limits some siting; west side (South Kohala, Kona) sees active project pipeline.

Political Risk Factors

Stable

Board Members

Hawaii County Council — 9 members; Mitchell Roth (Mayor). Council Chair: Heather Kimball. Key members include Matt Kaneali'i-Kleinfelder (D), Ikaika Kahananui (D).

Grid, Utilities & State Context

Grid Operator

Hawaii Electric Light Company (HELCO) / Island grid — no interstate interconnection

Utilities

Hawaiian Electric Light Company (HELCO) — Hawaii Island subsidiary of Hawaiian Electric Industries, None (island grid)

State Permitting Process

County SUP via Hawaii County Planning Commission for utility-scale in Agricultural zone. Chapter 343 HRS Environmental Review required for significant projects. PUC Power Purchase Agreement or RFP process required for HELCO interconnection. State Land Use Commission (LUC) district boundary amendment for projects on Agricultural or Conservation land. FAA coordination for tall structures.

State Incentives

Hawaii State RPS: 100% renewable by 2045 (HRS §269-92). State tax credit: 35% of system cost (capped per system size). Green Energy Market Securitization (GEMS) low-income solar loans. Net Energy Metering replaced by Customer Grid-Supply (CGS) programs administered by HELCO; tariff rates set by PUC.

Development Activity

Active/Completed Projects

Denied/Withdrawn Projects

No major county-level denials on record. Some EIS contested case proceedings for large projects.

Explore the Full Tracker

View risk assessments for all 3,100+ US counties, compare states, and download detailed ordinance data for your solar development pipeline.

Launch SolarRisk Tracker

Hawaii County, HI — Solar Development Risk Assessment