More than 80% of KIUC Members Powered; Some North Shore Restorations Expected Within Days

LĪHUʻE, KAUAʻI — Kaua‘i Island Utility Cooperative was able to restore approximately 1,850 additional customers over the past 24 hours. Pocket outages remain in portions of Anahola, Kapa‘a, Wailua, Līhu‘e, Po‘ipū, ʻŌmaʻo, Kalāheo, Lāwa‘i, Hanapēpē, and Kaumakani. Kōke‘e also remains out. At the time of this release, approximately 81% of KIUC’s members have been restored, compared to 76% from yesterday’s report. 

More information on restoration efforts and links to additional resources can be found on KIUC’s website. 

Mutual Aid: At the request of Governor Josh Green, Air Force crews assisted with the delivery of six utility trucks via a cargo flight that arrived at Līhu‘e Airport last evening. The trucks belong to mutual aid partner Southern California Edison (SCE) and were previously staged with SCE personnel in Hilo to assist with power restoration efforts following Hurricane Lala. SCE, along with line crews and additional personnel from Hawaiian Electric Company (HECO), are now assisting with restoration efforts. A total of roughly 100 mutual assistance personnel, including a third partner – HMS Construction, Inc. – will be fully deployed throughout the island beginning Monday morning, along with KIUC’s line personnel and contractors, for a total restoration crew headcount of 250.

North Shore Update: KIUC line crews along with personnel from HECO addressed repairs to transmission poles on the Hanalei side of Hanalei Bridge today. The work required a lane closure of Kūhiō Highway that began at 9:00 am this morning. The Hawai‘i National Guard provided escort assistance for crews and materials. The State of Hawai‘i Department of Transportation also assisted with vegetation/debris clearing activities in Princeville. The Kaua‘i Police Department will provide overnight security for equipment and materials as the North Shore work continues. Based on observations and work completed over the past four days, the first restorations for North Shore members are expected to take place early this week, according to KIUC’s President and Chief Executive Officer, David Bissell. He noted that these initial restorations will likely be concentrated in portions of Kīlauea, Princeville and Hanalei. “We will know much more in the next couple of days as we gauge the progress of our crews,” Bissell said.

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.

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