LIHUE — Kauai Island Utility Cooperative is celebrating successes in 2018, namely a boost in use of renewable energy resources and implementing member service enhancements.
“When we became a cooperative in 2003, our rates were 78 percent higher than rates on Oahu,” said David Bissell, chief executive officer of KIUC. “By the end of 2017 we’d closed that gap to 17 percent. This is a trend that we expect will continue over the next several years as we replace the volatility of diesel pricing with renewables at 11 cents per kilowatt hour or less.”
Renewables, he said, with favorable purchase power agreement pricing, have helped stabilize rates.
Tesla’s solar-plus-storage facility put its first year under its belt in 2018, pushing KIUC to reach nearly 45 percent of fuel needs supplied by renewable resources and up to 20 percent of evening peak demand can be powered with dispatchable solar.
Renewable energy generation has reached close to 99 percent during mid-day on most sunny days. And by the end of 2018, the cooperative will be receiving power from a new solar-plus-storage facility in Lawai, operated by AES Distributed Energy.
That will boost overall renewable generation capacity to nearly 60 percent, with up to 40 percent of evening peak powered by dispatchable solar.
KIUC also scored some accolades in 2018, including recognition by the Smart Electric Power Alliance for having the highest percentage of battery storage per-customer in the nation.
KIUC Board Chair Allan Smith says the cooperative is recognized around the world as a leader in innovation and transformation.
“We could not achieve our goals without the effort of our dedicated workforce, the governance of a member-elected board of directors, effective partnerships with public and private entities, and the support of our elected officials,” he said.
Smith added, “Our greatest strength is in our membership. We encourage you to stay involved with your cooperative and guide us to continued success in the future.”
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Jessica Else, staff writer, can be reached at 245-0452 or jelse@thegardenisland.com.
