About HOST Park & NELHA

The Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii Authority (NELHA) plays a crucial role in diversifying Hawaii’s economy by fostering research, education, and commercial ventures in energy and ocean-related fields. Operating with environmental and cultural sensitivity is at the heart of their mission.

This commitment is embodied in HOST Park (Hawaii Ocean Science and Technology Park), a unique 870-acre oceanfront park on the Kona coast of the Big Island. Since 1974, the State of Hawaii has invested over $100 million in HOST Park, creating a world-class facility with unparalleled resources.

A key feature of HOST Park is its access to deep seawater, drawn from depths of up to 3,000 feet via three sets of pipelines, as well as readily available surface seawater. This access, combined with Hawaii’s exceptional solar insolation (among the highest in the U.S.), creates an ideal environment for developing and testing renewable energy technologies.

Administered by NELHA, a state agency under the Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism (DBEDT), HOST Park serves as an innovative green economic development hub.

For five decades, NELHA has steadily progressed towards its goal of economic diversification, establishing itself as a vital engine for growth in Hawaii. It occupies a unique position in the Pacific region, offering unparalleled opportunities for research, demonstration, testing, evaluation, and deployment of clean energy technologies, particularly in the area of distributed energy resources.

NELHA’s extraordinary combination of physical infrastructure, access to natural energy resources, and strategic location on Hawaii Island makes it the premier clean energy R&D testbed, from initial research to real-world deployment. This facilitates the development and commercialization of cutting-edge technologies, contributing to a more sustainable and resilient future for Hawaii.