Kaua`i Island utility sets 70% renewable goal for 2030

In a new strategic plan, Kaua`i Island Utility Cooperative‘s (KIUC) Board of Directors has set a goal of 70% renewable energy by 2030. The target is part of an update to KIUC’s Strategic Plan 2008-2023, which set an initial goal of reaching 50% renewable by 2023. KIUC now anticipates reaching the goal five years early, in 2018.

KIUC was almost fully dependent on fossil fuels in 2011, and have since changed that with a goal of 70% renewable energy by 2030. The utility has already achieved about 44% clean energy.

“We are fully confident, given KIUC’s track record of developing new renewable sources over the past six years, that we can meet this goal – perhaps even ahead of schedule,” stated KIUC’s Board Chairman, Jan TenBruggencate.

KIUC’s President and CEO, David Bissell, added: “With the anticipation of the Solar City/Tesla solar-plus-battery facility coming on line within a few weeks, we will have already achieved roughly 44% renewable generation. This is truly remarkable when you consider that as recently as 2011, we were 92% dependent on fossil fuel generation.”

Aside from the renewable energy target, the Strategic Plan 2016-2030 also includes the following goals:

• Hold controllable cost increases at or below the actual level of inflation, and maintain system reliability at 99.96% or better availability.
• Establish a rate structure that is fair between classes of members, encourages usage during lowest cost periods, and increases financial stability through greater recovery of cost through fixed charges rather than reliance on volume of electricity consumed.
• Continue to address the strategic implications of climate change, including reducing the utility’s contribution to greenhouse gas emissions, adapting to the direct and indirect impacts locally and developing mitigation measures to protect the cooperative’s assets.
• Obtain long-term incidental federal and state permits that set requirements for conservation of endangered bird species.
• Continue investing in technology to cost-effectively maintain or improve our member service offerings and utility operations, including our smart-grid, in order to continue our transformation towards a 100% renewable future and lower operating costs.

“The KIUC Board is to be commended for setting an aggressive target and leading the state in progress on our collective goal of reaching 100% renewables by 2045,” stated Mayor Bernard P. Carvalho, Jr., who attended the meeting. “As member-owners of our cooperative, we can all be proud of these accomplishments.”