Hats off to the Kaua’i Island Utility Co-op that in just nine short months put together the newly formed non-profit co-op that bought Kaua’i Electric. Without a doubt, this achievement is the most important grassroots economic development activity in the
Hats off to the Kaua’i Island Utility Co-op that in just nine short months put
together the newly formed non-profit co-op that bought Kaua’i
Electric.
Without a doubt, this achievement is the most important
grassroots economic development activity in the history of the State of
Hawai’i. Wow!
It is unbelievable that a Kaua’i-based citizens group could
pull this off – a community owned power company purchased at a mind-boggling
$270 million – but a small price to pay to control our own power destiny, I’d
say.
Kudos to the geniuses behind this Herculean effort: Greg Gardiner,
Jim Mayfield, Robby Rask, Ron Kouchi, and the others who helped facilitate this
effort.
Everyone knows that Kaua’i pays the highest priced electrical
utility rates in the nation – almost double that of Honolulu and that power is
one of the largest bills that we pay each month (behind food and shelter).
At the Kaua’i Food Bank, our electricity bill is over $15,000 annually – most
of this for refrigeration – and all of which we have to raise through our food
and fund drives annually. We welcome a nonprofit utility company that can
either reduce or at least stabilize these huge operational costs to help feed
the needy on Kaua’i and Ni’ihau.
And finally, we must especially
congratulate and applaud the one-in-a-million mind and energy of Gregg
Gardiner, the Father of the Kaua’i Food Bank and now the Kaua’i Island Utility
Co-op! First he saves the food we need, and then supplies our energy needs!
What’s next for this incredible person – the air that we breathe? Mahalo to
Gregg Gardiner, a real doer in the community, a true Rotarian, and the man
behind a million miracles!
Judith F. Lenthall
Executive Director,
Kaua’i Food Bank
