LIHU‘E — Did someone forget to turn off the lights? The majority of the county’s departments were furloughed for six months last year, but not only did the electricity usage go up, it was the highest since 2005. The Office
LIHU‘E — Did someone forget to turn off the lights?
The majority of the county’s departments were furloughed for six months last year, but not only did the electricity usage go up, it was the highest since 2005.
The Office of the County Auditor last month released its audit scrutinizing the administration’s response to the Cost Control Commission recommendations to save energy. The document slaps the administration for fully implementing only three out of the 40 recommendations.
“Most of the recommendations have not been fully implemented because no one was accountable for implementing them,” the audit stated. “The county does not have a systematic process for implementing commission recommendations and no one was tasked with implementation.”
County Spokeswoman Beth Tokioka said the administration acknowledges that there has not been a formal mechanism for departments to report back to the mayor or to the commission on progress achieved on the recommendations.
“The administration has pledged to create such a mechanism for future recommendations,” she said.
Tokioka said the administration fully implemented three recommendations, but also partially implemented eight more.
“Of those 29 (not implemented), one is especially important and will impact many of the other 28 and many findings in the report: the execution of a performance contract with an energy services company for the Wastewater Division, which is very close to being accomplished,” Tokioka said.
Following that first contract, the administration will be putting out a request for proposal for a second performance contract for Buildings Division and Parks and Recreation, according to Tokioka.
“The rationale to split the Performance Contract into two RFPs is because wastewater energy use deals primarily with specialized pumps and motors, while the buildings and parks facilities deal primarily with lighting and air conditioning energy use,” she said.
Audit
The audit found that the county used 20.02 million kWh of electricity in 2010, a 4 percent increase from 2009, when the county used 19.30 million kWh of electricity.
The increase in usage ended up causing a 22 percent increase in the actual dollar amount.
The audit stated that the county paid $1.3 million more for electricity in 2010 than it did in 2009. The county’s electric bill in 2010 was $7.36 million, while in 2009 it was $6.05 million.
The commission on July 29, 2009 warned the administration that “as the cost of oil increases, the cost of electricity will continue to take a larger percentage of the overall county budget.”
“Our findings suggest that increases of this magnitude could have been avoided or moderated by following commission recommendations, making departments and functions responsible for the electricity they use, and adopting a strategic approach to energy management,” County Auditor Ernie Pasion said in the audit.
Tokioka said one of the reasons the county’s electric bill went up is the opening of the Kaiakea Fire Station near Kealia Beach. She said the building is a 24/7 facility, but will soon be retrofitted with a photovoltaic energy system, which will help to reduce the bill.
Furloughs that lasted six months in 2010 may not have had much of an impact on energy savings, according to Tokioka.
“It’s important to keep in mind that on furlough Fridays people were still using parks, neighborhood centers, etc.,” she said. “And our police, fire, water and wastewater facilities run 24/7 regardless of furloughs. Solid waste operations also were not impacted by furloughs.”
Tokioka said that according to the audit, water, wastewater, streetlights, parks, police and fire operations accounted for 88 percent of the energy. “So for energy use, you would have to expect office closures to have minor impact.”
Besides, she said, thousands of county and state workers could have been using county facilities during furlough days, driving up energy use.
The Wailua Golf Course, for example, utilizes energy mainly for irrigation, she said. If 2010 was a much drier year than 2009, it would have made it necessary to irrigate more often.
“The audit provides overall numbers but not the full circumstances behind the numbers,” Tokioka said.
Water operations alone accounted for 39 percent of energy use, according to the audit. Wastewater operations were second, using 22 percent.
Recommendations
The commission recommended that the administration execute an energy savings performance contract to improve energy efficiency in county buildings and facilities, form a county Departmental Green Team Committee to assess work environments, identify opportunities, and make recommendations to reduce waste and improve efficiencies.
The commission also recommended that each department assign an existing staff member to oversee energy reduction responsibilities.
Following the commission’s findings in 2009, Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr. sent a communication on August 19, 2009 to the council, commending the commission “for their thoughtful work,” and for making recommendations he believed would have a positive impact on county operations — in addition to providing cost savings — in the months and years to come.
Carvalho also said in the communication that it was the administration’s intent to implement the commissions’ recommendations, “with additional details and timelines to be announced” once the administration’s review of such recommendations would be completed.
On March 15, 2010, Carvalho sent the council his proposed budget for the current fiscal year, in which he said it was the administration’s goal “in the next 12 months to complete renewable energy retrofits at the Lihu‘e Civic Center and two neighborhood centers.”
Tokioka said the Lihu‘e Civic Center retrofit will be completed this month.
“We are working with the contractor to conduct a final inspection of the system next week,” she said. “The county is also working with KIUC to install a new meter that can handle PV power and still be connected to the grid.”
The retrofits of the two neighborhood centers, Tokioka said, have been delayed due to getting the Lihu‘e Civic Center construction underway, and conducting procurement process to install a PV system at the Kaiakea Fire Station.
“The County is also moving to implement a design/build contract for a PV system for the Police/Office of the Prosecuting Attorney/Civil Defense facility on Ka‘ana Street,” said Tokioka, adding that the audit noted that “the auditors themselves acknowledge that additional personnel is needed to effectively manage the energy program.”
• Léo Azambuja, staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 252) or lazambuja@ thegardenisland.com.
