Transport of wind farm equipment wrapped up ahead of schedule

HONOLULU, Hawaii (HawaiiNewsNow) - The company behind a controversial wind farm project says they’ve finished the transport of equipment to the North Shore a week early.

Convoys transporting wind turbines and other equipment to the project site have been met with nightly protests. Since the convoys began, police have made at least 200 arrests of protesters.

AES US Generation, the company building the wind farm, had expected to finish the convoys Tuesday.

“We have completed transport for Na Pua Makani ahead of schedule and will continue to work towards helping Hawaii achieve its 100% renewable energy future,” the company said, in a statement.

The company said it expects the wind farm to be operational by summer 2020.

Overnight, hundreds of wind farms opponents turned out again at the company’s Kalaeloa equipment yard, and 21 people were arrested for disobeying a police officer.

Critics of the project are concerned about potential health effects and the killing of native Hawaiian wildlife such as the Hawaiian hoary bat.

Copyright 2019 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.