LIHU‘E – Kaua‘i Island Utility Cooperative announced on Earth Day that the entity has achieved 56% renewable energy production for 2019, well ahead of its own strategic goals and the State of Hawai‘i’s mandated renewable benchmarks. The information was filed with the Hawai‘i Public Utilities Commission this week in KIUC’s Renewable Portfolio Standard Annual Report.
LIHU‘E – Kaua‘i Island Utility Cooperative announced on Earth Day that the entity has achieved 56% renewable energy production for 2019, well ahead of its own strategic goals and the State of Hawai‘i’s mandated renewable benchmarks. The information was filed with the Hawai‘i Public Utilities Commission this week in KIUC’s Renewable Portfolio Standard Annual Report.
“The AES Lawa‘i facility made a huge difference last year, helping to push us over the halfway mark to becoming 100% renewable,” said KIUC’s President and Chief Executive Officer, David Bissell.
The 56% renewable achievement puts Kaua‘i ahead of all other counties in renewable production and far exceeds state mandates that require 30% renewable by 2020 and 40% renewable by 2030.
KIUC has also exceeded its own strategic goal set in 2008 to reach 50% by 2023.
Kaua‘i’s power generation mix for 2019 included 35% solar, 11% hydro and 10% biomass. Rooftop solar from residential and commercial members accounted for more than one-third of the solar generation.
Renewable milestones continue in 2020 with KIUC routinely running the grid on 100% renewable energy during daytime hours. This year, the cooperative has logged 441 hours at 100% renewable energy: averaging five hours per day for a total of roughly 90 days since January 1.
KIUC’s renewable capabilities will be boosted when the AES Pacific Missile Range Facility (PMRF) solar-plus-storage project, with 14 megawatts of solar coupled with five-hour duration storage, is on-line later this year.
“For the first time, KIUC is leading the state in renewable production,” said Bissell. “Our member-owners should take pride in this accomplishment, made possible by their collective commitment to moving aggressively forward on reducing our carbon footprint.”
