When your monthly electric bill arrives, does it make you feel like you want to scream into the night, “Why is my electric bill so high?” If so, tonight is your chance — not to scream, but to at least
When your monthly electric bill arrives, does it make you feel like you want to scream into the night, “Why is my electric bill so high?”
If so, tonight is your chance — not to scream, but to at least raise the question to those folks in charge.
The board of directors of Kauai Island Utility Cooperative is seeking members’ comments and ideas for the cooperative’s updated strategic plan for 2013 through 2025.
KIUC board members will hold three simultaneous public briefings on the plan at 6:30 p.m. The meetings will be at Waimea Theater, the KIUC Lihue office at 4463 Pahee Street, and Princeville Community Center.
The opportunity to offer input like this doesn’t come along very often.
The last time the strategic plan was updated, there were fewer than 300 photovoltaic systems on Kauai. Today, there are more than 1,200.
Ask KIUC’s estimated 30,000 customers about the cost of electricity on Kauai, and the response is pretty unanimous. They don’t particularly like it, to put it mildly.
Electricity rates here are considered among the highest in the nation.
Hopefully, not forever.
KUIC’s board and staff recently completed a draft of the strategic plan. There is good news.
The draft reflects progress in reaching renewable energy goals to generate 50 percent of electricity by 2023, according to a KIUC news release.
“The draft also emphasizes the importance of reducing members’ costs while increasing their satisfaction,” KUIC says.
Electricity on a small island is generally going to be expensive.
Still, it would be nice to know that every once in a while you can leave the lights on without worrying about how much that just cost you.
