KIUC Prepares to Restore Power to Wainiha and Hā‘ena

LĪHUʻE, KAUAʻI - Kaua‘i Island Utility Cooperative (KIUC), working alongside crews from Premium Utility Contractor, Hawaiian Electric and with helicopter support from Vertical Worx, has made significant progress repairing transmission and distribution infrastructure serving Wainiha and Hā‘ena.

“Initial restorations could begin as early as this evening,” said KIUC Chief of Operations Brad Rockwell. “There is still work to be completed, but if conditions and repairs continue to progress as anticipated, we are hopeful the area can be fully energized by this weekend.”

Approximately 500 KIUC members remain without power in Wainiha and Hā‘ena. Members in these areas should take action this afternoon to ensure that any portable generators being used are NOT plugged into a wall outlet and NOT directly connected to the home or building’s electrical panel.

Elsewhere on the island, approximately 110 members remain without power in Kōke‘e, along with roughly 100 members experiencing isolated or small pocket outages in other areas of Kaua‘i.

“In many cases, a single home or a small group of homes may remain without power even though nearby customers have been restored,” Rockwell said. “These outages can be particularly challenging because they often require additional vegetation clearing, specialized repairs or other site-specific work before power can be safely restored.”

Because the work required for each remaining outage varies considerably, KIUC is unable to provide specific restoration estimates for individual locations. Some members experiencing isolated outages may remain without power for a week or longer, depending on the extent of damage, accessibility and repairs required.

Restoration in Kōke‘e is expected to take longer due to the extensive work required in that area, and full restoration there is not anticipated for several weeks.

“We recognize how difficult it is for those members who are still waiting for power to be restored,” Rockwell said. “Our crews and mutual aid partners remain focused on completing this work safely and as quickly as conditions allow. Every remaining outage matters, and we will continue working until every member who can safely receive power is restored.”

###