Hirono highlights work of KIUC
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Sen. Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) highlighted the efforts of Kauai Island Utility Cooperative and Hawaiian Electric to deploy renewable energy plus storage facilities across the state at a Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing on energy storage Tuesday.
Hirono also spoke about her visit to the Lawai Solar Energy Plus Storage Facility on Kauai in April. Currently the largest solar generation plus storage project in the world, the Lawai facility generates 11 percent of Kauai’s power and can serve as much as 40 percent of Kauai’s evening peak power demand.
“Hawaii is on the leading edge of incorporating renewable power and energy storage,” she said. “Of course, Hawaii is not connected to any other state’s grid, we’re kind of on our own.”
Hawaiian Electric recently received approval for six new solar and storage projects to provide 247 megawatts of solar energy with almost 800 megawatt hours of storage — enough to power 105,000 homes per year while eliminating the use of more than 48 million gallons of imported fossil fuel.
Hirono said Hawaii was the most imported fossil fuel dependent state in the country, and probably had the highest electricity rates in the country, possibly with the exception of Alaska.
She said altogether, KIUC gets 50 percent of its power from renewable sources, and it expects to reach 60 percent renewable power by the end of this year with another combined solar and battery storage system at Pacific Missile Range Facility, Barking Sands Naval Base.
KIUC President and CEO David Bissell said he appreciated Hirono’s support of their efforts.
“So far in 2019 we are achieving 55 percent renewable generation and could be as high as 80 percent within five years if all projects are completed on schedule,” he said. “KIUC’s success can be attributed to the combination of active engagement of our members, strategic leadership from our Board of Directors, employee innovation and strong support from the local, state and federal levels.
Why would anyone listen to, approve of, or give any advertising time to the worst Senator Hawaii has ever had? She has made Hawaii the political laughing stock for the majority of Americans nation wide, and doesn’t deserve even an afterthought!! Come on GI, even on a slow news day, highlighting this Cretan is beyond foolish.
Mr O: I don’t know much about you, but your ad hominem attacks (“Cretan”?) discredit this forum. I happen to be an independant politically, so no tribal ax to grind, but still I notice each time you criticize the Jr. Senator from Hawaii there is never one iota of substance—only insult and invective. …And incidentally, your (anti-vax) comments encouraging people to skip vaccinations do a disservice to the island community. They’re salted with hearsay, internet conspiracy “facts” and plenty of anecdotal evidence —unsupported by the kind of scientific rigor and peer-reviewed research that underpins one of the most exhaustively and conclusively vetted fields of study in medical history.
All these renewables are great but it hasn’t been reflected in our rates – which are STILL some of the highest in the country. Why? There’s always an excuse. Before it was cost of fuel, now it’s cost of building the new infrastructure. Truth is they’re invested in making sure they keep collecting a fat salary even though it’s a tiny operation.