Maui residents and businesses can now sign up for a Hawaiian Electric program that pays cash to customers with rooftop solar who add extra storage capacity, in an effort to help supply the grid as fossil fuel plants are phased out. 

The Battery Bonus program can provide Maui customers with a one-time cash incentive and monthly bill credits who add batteries to existing or new solar energy systems, according to a news release Thursday.

The program pays $850 for each kilowatt of battery capacity committed over a 10-year period — for example, a 5 kilowatt system would yield a $4,250 cash bonus. Customers will also get monthly bill credits over the course of the decade.

The program comes as Maui could be facing more pressure to find more energy sources if it isn’t able to find the parts needed to fix generators at Maui’s Maalaea power plant. Hawaiian Electric might have to close the plant if it can’t secure the spare parts after the parts supplier shut down. 

Maui residents who are interested in learning more about the program can visit hawaiianelectric.com/batterybonus. Applications are being accepted through June 30, 2024, or until the cap is reached.

Civil Beat’s coverage of Maui County is supported in part by grants from the Nuestro Futuro Foundation and the Fred Baldwin Memorial Foundation.