Co-ops During Crisis: All Hands on Deck
By Jim Mayfield, Board of Directors

We’re in new territory as an island and electric utility cooperative. The increasing risk of wildfires due to climate change, which have been happening with greater frequency on the continental United States, is now part of our “new normal” after the devastating Lahaina fires of August 2023. Though we’ve long been experienced in hurricane preparedness, we must enhance our preparedness for wildfires as well.

Last year, KIUC took a proactive approach and hired experienced wildfire consultants to help us create a Wildfire Mitigation Plan. July of this year brought us a real-world opportunity to test our plans, with the Hanapēpē and Kōkeʻe fires requiring the de-energization of power to parts of the west side.

KIUC does not act alone when it comes to decision-making during a wildfire. KIUC is just one of multiple agencies that work together during an emergency. The many agencies involved may include government agencies, emergency and first responders, military, transportation, health, business and service organizations.

During an emergency, these agencies together stand up what is known as an Emergency Operations Center. Representatives convene at a central physical location to expedite communication and save time.

KIUC, as a critical infrastructure organization, has a representative at the county’s EOC. During the July Hanapēpē wildfire, KIUC remained on-site from the time the EOC was stood up in the afternoon until the formal activation concluded. KIUC was also present at the EOC for the Kōkeʻe wildfire several days later. KIUC participates in any after-event action planning to review what occurred and to continually improve operations and communications among partners.

These emergencies require an all-hands-on-deck approach and demand extensive time away from home for KIUC line crews and power plant workers, as well as all the EOC agencies and their workers. We’re grateful to our members for their patience and understanding when we need to de-energize lines to keep the fires from spreading and ensure everyone’s ʻohana stays safe.

We are proud of our crews who remained vigilant and hardworking throughout the recent fires, protecting our members and utility infrastructure.

To read more about the county and KIUC’s wildfire and mitigation plans, visit kiuc.coop/wildfire and kauai.gov/KEMA.

What Is an EOC? An EOC is a physical or virtual location from which leaders of a jurisdiction or organization coordinate information and resources to support incidents. Fire Chief Michael Gibson shares information at the Emergency Operations Center.

What Is De-energization? De-energization refers to the proactive shutting off of power to minimize wildfire risk. KIUC may de-energize power lines when an active wildfire is too close to our equipment, such as transmission and distribution lines, power lines, poles and substations, to prevent the spread of fire. For the safety of our customers and the communities that we serve, we de-energize power lines to protect first responders on the ground fighting fires and to avoid contributing to catastrophic wildfire conditions.