The Hawaii Public Utilities Commission approved a long-term power purchase contract between Maui Electric Company Limited and Molokai New Energy Partners for a solar-plus-battery project capable of meeting about 40 percent of the island’s electricity demand. The approximately 5-megawatt photovoltaic project, combined with a 3-megawatt battery, is projected to slash the island’s reliance on diesel to produce electricity, allowing lower-cost renewable power to supplant expensive fossil fuel generation. Customers are expected to benefit from savings of $4.63 in 2019 and $35.92 in 2024 in monthly electric bills. The project is expected to come online in the second quarter of 2019. Molokai New Energy Partners is owned by Half Moon Ventures LLC.