40.1

Risk Grade

Good

Moderate grid saturation on MECO Maui system; Molokai and Lanai very constrained small island grids; Lahaina fire recovery adds policy uncertainty; otherwise supportive environment.

Assessment Snapshot

Population

167,417

State Rank

Compliance

36%

Trajectory

Moratorium Status

✓ No Active Moratorium

No Moratorium

Ordinance & Regulations

Setback Requirements

Maui County Code Title 19 (Zoning) setbacks apply. Utility-scale projects require CUP from Maui Planning Commission. Lahaina Fire recovery zone may restrict certain land uses temporarily.

Zoning Mechanism

Maui County Planning Commission CUP for utility-scale in Agricultural (A-1) or Rural (R-1) zones. State LUC boundary amendment for reclassification. Post-Lahaina wildfire, some west Maui areas have temporary land use restrictions.

Acreage Caps

None codified; grid capacity and land use compatibility are practical limits.

Density Caps

None codified.

Spacing Rules

None codified.

Size Restrictions

MECO grid capacity limits on Maui and neighbor islands (Molokai, Lanai).

Board Sentiment & Political Risk

Sentiment Analysis

Generally supportive; Maui has high electricity costs driving solar economics; Lahaina wildfire raised questions about grid resilience but also reinforced interest in distributed and utility-scale solar + storage.

Basis for Assessment

Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen and County Council broadly pro-renewable; MECO grid serving Maui island has moderate penetration; Molokai and Lanai grids are very small with limited additional capacity.

Political Risk Factors

Stable

Board Members

Maui County Council — 9 members. Council Chair: Alice Lee. Mayor: Richard Bissen. Key members: Tamara Paltin, Tom Cook, Keani Rawlins-Fernandez.

Grid, Utilities & State Context

Grid Operator

Maui Electric Company (MECO) — HECO subsidiary; separate island grids for Maui, Molokai, and Lanai

Utilities

Maui Electric Company (MECO) — HECO subsidiary serving Maui, Molokai, and Lanai, None (island grids)

State Permitting Process

Maui County Planning Commission CUP for utility-scale. State LUC boundary amendment if reclassifying agricultural/conservation land. Chapter 343 HRS environmental review. MECO interconnection study and PPA via RFP process. Special Management Area (SMA) permit for coastal-zone projects. Post-Lahaina temporary restrictions in designated recovery zones.

State Incentives

Hawaii State RPS 100% by 2045. State tax credit 35% of cost. MECO CGS tariff (post-NEM) per PUC order. Green infrastructure financing. USDA REAP for agricultural solar on Molokai and Lanai.

Development Activity

Active/Completed Projects

Denied/Withdrawn Projects

No major county-level denials on record. Some MECO RFP bids not selected due to pricing.

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Maui County, HI — Solar Development Risk Assessment