Whatever can be said about the simmering proposed sale of Kaua’i Electric – and at this point, all most people want to hear is whether a change of ownership will mean lower or higher power bills – there is no
Whatever can be said about the simmering proposed sale of Kaua’i Electric – and at this point, all most people want to hear is whether a change of ownership will mean lower or higher power bills – there is no denying that some prospective buyers can benefit from lessons learned the hard way by a spurned suitor of the utility.
Kaua’i Island Utility Cooperative (KIUC), which still clings to hope for a second chance, got rejected faster than a 90-pound weakling trying to enter heavy surf when it asked the state Public Utilities Commission for Kaua’i Electric’s hand. The big-money offer was disagreeable to Kaua’i County, state and federal officials, as well as local some local citizens. The commission didn’t like the proposed deal, either, saying it just wasn’t put together right.
Kaua’i Electric is still for sale, though, and the county is spearheading a study of possible public ownership of the utility if indeed such a deal can be put together and win regulatory approval. The pitfalls that KIUC encountered are something the new interests hope to avoid.
Mayor Maryanne Kusaka, a point person in the county’s cautious but persistent study of a utility buyout, noted recently that the co-op’s stumble before the Utilities Commission “is a good example of what happens when you hastily do your homework.” It remains to be seen if the new initiative for public control of the island’s electricity supplier fares any better. But at least the people behind the effort can lean on the experience of others who’ve already been there.
