Kauaʻi Island Utility Cooperative

Kauaʻi Island Utility Cooperative
Company typeCooperative
IndustryElectric utility
Founded1905 (as Kauaʻi Electric)
November 1, 2002 (formed as a cooperative)
HeadquartersLīhuʻe, Kauaʻi, Hawaiʻi, United States
Key people
Allan A. Smith, Chairman
David Bissell, CEO
ProductsElectricity
Revenue$154.9 million[1] (2019)
Number of employees
145
Websitewww.kiuc.coop
Footnotes / references
Affiliation: Touchstone Energy

Kauaʻi Island Utility Cooperative (KIUC) is an electric cooperative located on the island of Kauaʻi in Hawaiʻi. With roughly 38,695 member-owners represented by a nine-member board of directors, it is the only electric cooperative in the state of Hawaii.[2]

Energy history

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In the 1970s, Kauaʻi burned sugar cane waste to supply most of their electricity.

As of 2008, the majority of the Kauaʻi's electricity was produced by importing liquid petroleum, costing $69.3 million in 2006 and $83 million in 2007.[3] By 2011, 92% of KIUC's power came from petroleum.[4]

As of 2019, KIUC's fuel mix was 47.2% fossil fuels, 10.5% hydroelectric, 9.9% biomass and 32.5% solar.[5] KIUC has successfully integrated large-scale solar into its grid so that, during daylight hours on most days, 100 percent of its generation comes from renewable sources.[6] In March 2017, KIUC commissioned a 13 MW solar and 13 MW / 52 MWh battery project[7] for 13.9¢/kWh.[4] In December 2018, KIUC commissioned a 28 MW solar and 20 MW / 100 MWh battery is priced at 11¢/kWh.[8] A proposed solar-charged water pumping system will supply power throughout the night.[9]

Corporate history

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Kauaʻi Electric was incorporated in 1905 as a subsidiary of McBryde Sugar in order to construct a 2.4 MW hydroelectric plant on the Wainiha River. Kauaʻi Electric merged with Lihue Plantation's Waiahi Electric Company early in the 1950s. Kauaʻi Electric became a division of Citizens Utilities Company in 1969. In the late 1990s, Citizens Utilities announced its intentions to divest from the electric utility business and a group of business leaders from Kauaʻi joined to found the Kauaʻi Island Utility Cooperative in 1999. KIUC purchased Kauaʻi Electric Company on 1 November 2002 for $215 million.[10]

In December 2009, KIUC participated in hearings regarding its plan to minimize the effects its operations have on three endangered Hawaiian birds, the ʻuaʻu, the ʻaʻo, and the band-rumped storm-petrel.[11]

References

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  1. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 September 2020. Retrieved 2 October 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  2. ^ Kauaʻi Island Utility Cooperative website
  3. ^ Flynn, Meghan. Kauai Island Utility Cooperative. Energy Today Magazine. 30 September 2008
  4. ^ a b Wagman, David (16 March 2017). "Tesla Teams With Tiny Hawaiian Utility to Store Solar". IEEE. Retrieved 29 March 2017. as 2011 we were 92% dependent on fossil fuel generation", primarily diesel and naphtha.
  5. ^ "Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS) Annual Reports (Electric, Docket 2007-0008)". puc.hawaii.gov. Retrieved 2 October 2020.
  6. ^ Wu, Nina (19 December 2019). "Kauai utility hits mark of supplying island with 100% renewable energy". Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Retrieved 2 October 2020.
  7. ^ "Tesla launches its Powerpack 2 project in Hawaii, will help Island of Kauai get more out of its solar power". 8 March 2017. Retrieved 8 March 2017.
  8. ^ "AES' New Kauai Solar-Storage 'Peaker' Shows How Fast Battery Costs Are Falling". 16 January 2017. Retrieved 24 January 2017.
  9. ^ Spector, Julian (8 January 2021). "Kauai to Hit 80% Renewable Power With Solar-Charged Hydro Storage". Greentechmedia. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  10. ^ Kauai Island Utility Cooperative Agrees to Acquire Kauai Electric from Citizens Communications for $215 Million. Business Wire. 6 March 2002.
  11. ^ State Plans Hearing On Kauai Utility Seabird Plan. KITV. 6 December 2009.
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