WAILUA — One of Kaua‘i Island Utility Cooperative’s latest efforts to meet its renewable energy goals is being met with some early opposition.
On behalf of the Kaua‘i Group of the Hawai‘i Chapter of Sierra Club, Rayne Regush wrote to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) claiming KIUC’s Wailua River hydroelectric project would “undoubtedly harm native species of fish, snails and shrimp” and raised concerns over emergency cleaning of the proposed reservoir when filled with storm debris that could “expose the entire river ecosystem to low levels of oxygen, toxic chemicals and high levels of pathogens.”
The comments were in response to a Clean River Power 15 LLC application to FERC for a preliminary permit to conduct feasibility and other studies in preparation of an application for a license to construct, which Sierra Club does not support.
“The breaking of the dam at Wailua reservoir is another example of extensive destruction of the riverine ecosystem, which included Kilauea River,” she wrote. “These structures are ecologically unsound and should not be permitted in this day and age, especially when we can’t safeguard the ones we have, and when dams across America are being dismantled.”
Regush recommended that it would be of greater benefit to Kaua‘i to first upgrade existing hydroelectric plants run by KIUC in order to get maximum power production without the ecological impacts of damming.
Currently, KIUC has six run-of-the-river, or run-of-the-ditch, hydroelectric locations: upper Waiahi, lower Waiahi, Wainiha, Kalaheo, a Gay and Robinson ditch and a Kaua‘i Agricultural Associates ditch.
Run-of-the-river hydroelectricity utilizes the kinetic energy that comes from the natural downward flow of a river to generate electricity. KIUC’s existing hydro locations collectively produce approximately 10 megawatts of power, said Anne Barnes, KIUC’s spokeswoman.
It is estimated that the Wailua project would produce 6.6 megawatts of fixed output from the South Fork of the Wailua River.
The project calls for a 23-foot high, 508-foot long diversion structure (dam wall) approximately 1,000 feet upstream of Wailua Falls, and would maintain a surface elevation of 275 feet.
A reinforced concrete intake structure 40 feet wide and 20 feet high would be built to the left of the diversion structure and will employ a trash rack and fish screens. The associated reservoir would have a surface area of 35 acres.
Ramya Swaminathan, COO for Free Flow Power (FFP), the company that is handling the project through the design and engineering phase, said the FERC preliminary permit request is merely a place holder for the project, and final plans could change dramatically during the course of studies.
According to the permit request, the estimated cost of completing the studies is between $100,000 and $500,000 and will be financed by KIUC.
Possible issues, such as extreme fluctuations in river levels during heavy rains and resulting massive debris, will be addressed during the study, she said.
“It’s not uncommon for debris to be a huge issue for (dam) projects,” Swaminathan said, “but there are engineering solutions to deal with them. Free Flow intends to solicit information from the public about other possible problems.”
Regush argues the project may have negative impacts on native ecosystems, recreational activities and may not adequately preserve historic sites along the Wailua River.
“. . . a dam increases the hazards associated with flood control and a reservoir requires flooding a large area upstream, which causes problems to the ecosystem,” she said.
“The Wailua River plays a crucial role in sustaining both human and natural life. There are seven sacred heiaus of special significance in Native Hawaiian cultures, stretching from the mouth of the Wailua River to the top of Mount Waialeale following the river’s course.”
KIUC CEO David Bissell said Clean River Power 15 is a shill company under which Free Flow Power will handle the engineering, design, environmental studies, regulatory requirements, siting and permitting on behalf of KIUC. Free Flow will then pass the project back to KIUC when the license to build has been issued.
“Hydroelectric projects have a longer development process,” said Swaminathan. “They do have a lot of environmental issue, and I imagine they would be prominent in endangered species.”
She said her company works to find ways to mitigate ecological impacts. For example, fish mortality may be minimized through the use of mesh barriers that prevent them from entering the turbine.
Bissell estimated it will take three years to get the license needed to build and one to two years to construct. The “all-in” estimated cost of the project is between $30 and $50 million. It may be funded, in part, with a $110 million federal loan guarantee from Rural Utility Service (RUS), which the co-op secured in November.
On KIUC’s Summary of Proposed Four-Year Construction Costs balance sheet submitted to RUS, which outlined various projects, the co-op requested $308,400 for “new hydro” and $125,000 for “hydro improvements.”
The same summary lists $3.2 million for “diesel overhauls” and $67.6 million for a new “Titan 1×1 at Kapaia,” meaning a new diesel-powered generator.
Bissell said the $67.6 million for the Titan was merely an earmark for funds that may be reallocated at a later date for other projects, because RUS funds are not project specific.
However, the RUS guaranteed loan has a four-year expiration date, which means KIUC may have to re-petition RUS for funding for the project.
Initial estimates indicate hydroelectric power could cut KIUC’s cost of delivering electricity to as low as 12 to15 cents per kilowatt-hour, Bissell said.
Petroleum-based energy generation is subject to the price of fossil fuel, and currently costs the co-op approximately 20 cents per kilowatt-hour with the potential for much higher prices as the cost of oil increases.
Currently, KIUC is 13.5 percent renewable through efficiency and hydro, Barnes said. The remaining power output is petrolium-based.
The State of Hawai‘i mandate requires electric utility companies provide at least 20 percent of their net electricity through renewable sources by 2020. KIUC has committed to becoming 50 percent renewable by 2023, Barnes said.
KIUC recently signed power purchase agreements with AES Solar for 3 megawatts of photovoltaic energy and with Clean Energy LLC for 7 megawatts of biomass energy, brining the total amount derived from renewable sources to well above the state’s mandate.
The Garden Island has requested from KIUC a list of the co-op’s power purchase agreements, whether with individuals or entities, and including the estimated amounts of energy provided by each source.
KIUC produces approximately 95 megawatts of energy per minute. Energy demand varies between 30 and 75 megawatts, depending on the time of day.
Free Flow has also filed a FERC preliminary permit request for a 3.5 megawatt Hanalei River Hydroelectric Project. Permit applications for Kitano Water Power Project and a Makaweli River Water Project do not appear on FERC’s website, although KIUC has said it is including the locations in its hydro-development plans.
On behalf of the Kaua‘i Group of the Sierra Club, member Judy Dalton said: “The Sierra Club is a strong proponent for the development of renewable resources; however, every project has environmental consequences of one type or another, so every project must be assessed on an individual basis. The environmental costs of the proposals to dam and divert the Hanalei River and the Wailua River are numerous, significant, unmitigable and unacceptable.
“Damming either of these two rivers to incrementally add to Kauai’s energy resources is inappropriate and therefore, we have urged KIUC and Free Flow Power to withdraw the applications to FERC and terminate the proceedings for these two projects now, rather than subject all parties to years of acrimonious hearings and litigation,” she said.
To comment on the preliminary permit requests, visit FERC’s website at www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/ecomment.asp.
