US-based First Wind recently held a groundbreaking ceremony to commemorate the start of construction of its 30MW Kahuku Wind project, the only utility-scale wind energy project on Oahu and one of the largest in Hawaii. As part of the ceremony, state, local and community leaders joined First Wind at the project site on Oahu’s North Shore to recognize the economic and environmental benefits of the project, which upon completion will have the capacity to generate enough clean, renewable energy to power up to 7700 Oahu homes each year. Construction of the Kahuku Wind project, which was spurred along by an expected USD 117 million loan guarantee from the U.S. Department of Energy, will create immediate economic benefits for Oahu such as employment opportunities during design, engineering and construction including approximately 200 construction jobs. The loan guarantee is expected to close soon. Once completed, the project will support the ambitious Hawaiian Clean Energy Initiative, which aims to have 70% of the state’s energy for electricity and ground transportation come from clean energy by 2030.