LIHU‘E — The core of Kaua‘i Island Utility Cooperative’s strategic plan calls for reducing the Garden Isle’s dependence on imported fossil fuels while reliably delivering power to a growing customer base. The goal is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to
LIHU‘E — The core of Kaua‘i Island Utility Cooperative’s strategic plan calls for reducing the Garden Isle’s dependence on imported fossil fuels while reliably delivering power to a growing customer base.
The goal is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to levels emitted during 1990 by 2020.
The strategic plan is outlined in detail on KIUC’s website and in its annual report that was distributed to members during its 8th annual membership meeting, Sunday, at the War Memorial Convention Hall.
“This event is for members to get an update on what its cooperative is doing and has done over the past year,” KIUC spokesperson Shelly Paik said.
The strategic plan outlined in the annual report is an update and expansion of the Strategic Plan 2008-2023 with the ultimate goal of serving KIUC’s members well, the annual report states.
Key issues facing KIUC in the next 15 years are identified and a framework is provided for the strategic direction of KIUC now and into the future.
This includes five areas: attention to members, workforce excellence, diverse energy solutions, financial stability, and reliability.
One of the more important components in the strategy is to continue to ensure the satisfaction of the membership with responsive and value-driven services.
“Our relationship with our members sets the context for our successful operations and we treasure our legacy of engagement with our community,” said Randy Hee, KIUC president and chief executive officer, in a message in the report.
During recent years, KIUC has experienced annual growth of 1.5 percent in its customer base, serving almost 36,000 customers, 75 percent of whom are residential customers.
The next few years will be influenced by the global economic downturn, but KIUC projects a continued growth of its customer base due to increased population on the island and added infrastructure serving visitors. KIUC also expects that increased end user efficiency will temper Kaua‘i’s energy needs, growth and the likely shift of transportation from petroleum-based to electric vehicles will lead to increased electrical capacity requirements.
In the latest member surveys done in 2008 and 2009 indicate that charging reasonable rates and delivering good value are the more significant drivers of overall satisfaction.
KIUC maintains an electrical network on Kaua‘i that is an “islanded” system, meaning that it is not connected to any other outside utility. There are no current technologies, or technologies in the foreseeable future that will enable economical electrical transmission across the deep ocean channel separating Kaua‘i from the other Hawaiian Islands.
“To that end, we will continue toward a mix of generation resources to meet demand, finding the best ways to balance environmental concerns while ensuring delivery of affordable and reliable power,” Hee said.
Members who turned out for the event received a recyclable shopping bag containing a copy of the KIUC annual report, an invitation to have a serving of chili, and the first 300 members receiving a ticket for a bag of rice.
“This year we settled for the convention hall because it is a little more intimate and allows us to work with members,” Paik said.
The Kalaheo School Sunshine Express under the direction of Laine Griffith opened the afternoon with a presentation that was at times patriotic and at times focused on the current concerns about the environment.
Visit www.kiuc.coop for more information.
