Hawaiian Electric Co. said it has initiated a process that could lead to more companies providing renewable energy to O'ahu's electrical power grid.

The company has issued a "solicitation of interest" for developers who are interested in entering a competitive bidding process. This could be followed for a formal request for proposals that asks companies to submit propositions for providing up to 100 megawatts of renewable energy. It may also allow bidders to submit proposals for grander projects or those that would be built in phases.

Hawaiian Electric has increasingly looked at renewable energy sources in planning to meet O'ahu's growing electricity needs. Among the sources that have been reviewed are wind, solar, ocean energy and biofuels.

Hawaiian Electric currently gets 46 megawatts of power from the H-Power garbage-to-energy plant and is planning a new Campbell Industrial Park plant that will provide up to 110 megawatts using biofuels starting in 2009. The Honolulu-based utility also said it is continuing talks with other possible renewable energy providers.

The utility said it could submit a draft request for proposals to the state Public Utilities Commission by the end of the year and that it would hold a technical conference for potential bidders and other interested parties.