General Electric Co. officially launched the planning stages for GE-led energy improvements on Maui today.

The Maui Smart Grid project will help the Maui Electric Co. control peak circuit demand and maintain voltage levels, officials said.
Maui currently receives about 10 percent of its energy from wind. Even at 10 percent, reliability issues can arise due to “minute-to-minute” wind fluctuations, GE said in a press release.
Along with GE and MECO, the U.S. Department of Energy, the Hawaiian Electric Co. and the Hawaiçi Natural Energy Institute are partnering and sharing the cost of the project.
Maui residents will not see the effects immediately as officials try to determine what the project will look like, said Juan de Bedout, GE Global Research technology leader for power conversion systems.