KIUC Provides Update on Mutual Aid and Restoration Activities

LĪHUʻE, KAUAʻI — Kaua‘i Island Utility Cooperative was able to restore approximately 1,200 additional customers over the past 24 hours. Outages remain on the north shore, and in portions of Līhu‘e, Kalāheo, Kōloa, Kekaha and Kōke‘e. At the time of this release, approximately 76% of KIUC’s members have been restored, compared to 73% from yesterday’s report. More information on restoration efforts and links to additional resources can be found on KIUC’s website. 

Mutual Aid: As of tomorrow, approximately 100 additional personnel will have arrived on Kaua‘i from Hawaiian Electric Company, Southern Cal Edison, and HMS Construction, Inc.  They will supplement KIUC crews and our contractors: Premium, Asplundh and Wiggins Tech. In total, KIUC will deploy roughly 250 personnel to field operations in the restoration effort.  The State of Hawai‘i has assisted with coordinating a military transport of vehicles and equipment for Southern California Edison crews who are relocating from Hilo to Kaua‘i this weekend. “We are grateful for the assistance of Governor Josh Green in making arrangements for the arrival of these vital supplies, which will greatly accelerate our ability to resolve the remaining outages,” said KIUC’s President and Chief Executive Officer, David Bissell.

North Shore Update: Significant effort is being placed on making repairs to transmission lines serving the North Shore. Energizing the transmission system is a critical first step in repowering members in that area. Simultaneously, crews are making damage assessments and repairs to the distribution lines, which bring power from the transmission system to homes and businesses. Once the transmission system is operational, and the distribution lines are deemed safe to energize, we can begin repowering members on the North Shore. We may be able to begin those restorations early next week, and more information will be provided as soon as it becomes available. KIUC will continue to provide daily communication with customers via the Everbridge notification system to provide updates on restoration efforts and timelines. Members on the north shore are encouraged to update their contact information so they can receive these messages via phone, text and email. To confirm your contact information, please call KIUC at 808-246-4300.

Generation resources: All of Kaua‘i’s large conventional generation units at Port Allen and Kapaia are back to pre-storm operational status, and are adequate to keep the island powered for the foreseeable future. Additionally, the following power sources are operational and available for meeting power demand: Tesla Solar+Storage facility and AES Lāwa‘i Solar+Storage Facility.

Equipment and supplies: KIUC has adequate inventory of poles, line, transformers and other equipment necessary to conduct repair and restoration work for the foreseeable future. Orders are being placed to ensure that restoration work will not be suspended due to lack of supplies. 

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