SolarRisk Tracker / Explore / HI / Kalawao

Kalawao County, HI — Solar Development Risk Assessment

Local solar ordinance barriers, board sentiment, and utility policies that affect development timelines and risk.

52.6
Risk Grade
Fair
NPS/NHP federal designation and DOH administration render county undevelopable for commercial solar; no functional county government; essentially zero market opportunity.
Assessment Snapshot
Population
86
State Rank
#5
Compliance
45%
Trajectory
48

Moratorium Status

✓ No Active Moratorium
No Moratorium

Ordinance & Regulations

Setback Requirements
Not applicable — no county planning authority. NPS and Hawaii DOH jurisdiction. Kalaupapa National Historical Park designation effectively prohibits commercial development.
Zoning Mechanism
No county zoning. Federal NPS jurisdiction. Kalaupapa NHP (est. 1980) covers essentially the entire county. Any development would require NPS concurrence and federal environmental review.
Acreage Caps
Not applicable.
Density Caps
Not applicable.
Spacing Rules
Not applicable.
Size Restrictions
Effectively undevelopable for commercial solar due to NPS/NHP designation and DOH administration.

Board Sentiment & Political Risk

Sentiment Analysis
Not applicable — minimal permanent population (aging former Hansen's disease patients and NPS staff). No community solar market.
Basis for Assessment
Smallest county by population in the US; unique NPS/Hawaii DOH co-jurisdiction; Kalaupapa NHP designation since 1980 makes commercial solar development effectively impossible.
Political Risk Factors
Worsening
Board Members
No elected county government. Hawaii Dept. of Health administers. NPS Kalaupapa National Historical Park superintendent has de facto land management authority.

Grid, Utilities & State Context

Grid Operator
Maui Electric Company (MECO) / Molokai island grid — no interstate interconnection
Utilities
Maui Electric Company (MECO) — HECO subsidiary serving Molokai
State Permitting Process
No county permitting authority. Federal NPS and Hawaii DOH authorization would be required. Kalaupapa NHP General Management Plan governs land use. Federal NEPA review required for any physical disturbance.
State Incentives
No applicable commercial solar incentives — jurisdiction is effectively undevelopable.

Development Activity

Active/Completed Projects
None — no commercial solar projects on record.
Denied/Withdrawn Projects
No formal applications on record; NPS designation is a de facto bar to commercial development.

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Last verified: 2026-03-24 | SolarRisk Tracker | Data sources: Government records, utility filings, public meeting minutes