Ka‘ū News Briefs, Sunday, December 22, 2019

SETTING AN EXAMPLE FOR THIS ISLAND AND ALL OF HAWAIʻI, Kauaʻi reached a milestone with 11 days in the past month month supplying the island's energy needs using only renewable energy.

     KIUC claims that for five hours last Tuesday, all electricity on Kauaʻi was generated by renewable resources. The community owned electrical cooperative provides power to a population of about 100,000, including visitors.

     "We didn't use a drop of fossil fuel for a cumulative total of more than 32 hours during that time frame," said KIUC's President and Chief Executive Officer, David Bissell. "We believe this is a unique accomplishment for a standalone electrical grid relying on small-scale renewable generation."

     KIUC is a not-for-profit generation, transmission, and distribution cooperative owned by the members it serves. Headquartered in Lihuʻe, the cooperative serves 33,000 electrical accounts on the island of Kauaʻi.

     For the past two years, KIUC says, it has routinely achieved 90 percent or more renewable generation during the middle of the day on sunny days.

     Noting this important milestone, energy guru Henry Curtis wrote: "The BigIslandalso could achieve that same result with the addition of cheap wind and/or solar energy.

     "Even with the loss of Puna Geothermal Ventures, the BigIsland currently has a firm generation of 213.3 MW and plenty of variable renewable generation."

Fields of solar panels.

     Curtis noted that HELCO has 143 MW of "green energy" operational, including 31 MW of wind, 17 MW of hydro, and 95 MW of customer-sited solar energy (generally known as "roof top").

     Under development is 60 MW of solar and 38 MW of geothermal. The solar power will come from two projects, Hale Kuawehi and Waikaloa. Hale Kuawehi will be located on 300 acres on Parker Ranch near Waimea. The Waikaloa facility will be built near the village of Waikaloa.

     Curtis pointed out that power from the Hū Honua project, which faces some opposition, would be sold to ratepayers for 22 cents per kilowatt hour, while the Waikaloa and Hale Kuawehi systems would supply power for either 8c or 9c per kWh. The industrial Ocean View solar project in Kaʻū, if allowed to go forward, would charge BigIsland ratepayers 23.8c per kWh.
     Last month on Kauaʻi, the energy cooperative took steps toward full deployment of renewables by investing in utility-scale battery storage systems at both its Tesla solar facility in Kapaia and AES Distributed Energy facility in Lawaʻi. The storage systems contributed significantly to grid stability, according to the KIUC press release.

     Both facilities on Kauaʻi can simultaneously feed solar power to the grid and the batteries for storage and use after sunset. The Lawaʻi facility can provide up to 20 MW of direct-to-grid power during the day, and 100 MW after sunset.

     KIUC media contact Beth Tokioka told The Kaʻū Calendar that last year the co-op was able to save $700,000 by using solar instead of burning diesel oil, a reduction of 7 percent on the island's annual energy bill.

     "The price of diesel is volatile - at the moment it is 15c per kWh and climbing, while solar is about 12c per kWh and dropping," she said. "We estimate that the average user saved about $180 last year. Our operations personnel needed ample time to put all the necessary pieces into place before pushing the envelope to 100 percent renewable. Now we're doing it routinely."

TŪTŪ & ME TRAVELING PRESCHOOL, part of the community for many years, is ramping up its services in Pāhala. The free community service, organized by Partners in Development, is in the process of developing a Home Visiting program in Pāhala. Tūtū & Me staff will be able to bring activities for keiki and resources for caregivers right into the home. Tūtū & Me is accepting enrollment applications for the new program.

     Applications are also open for the preschool site in Waiʻōhinu. Call the office at 808-929-8571 for more information on the programs.

     The Tūtū & Me staff members are seek ways to serve the community and participate in professional development. They volunteer at PāhalaElementary School and Library three times a week, and participate in events supporting county Parks & Recreation, Boys & Girls Club, Nāʻālehu Elementary, KahukuPark, and more. One day a week is dedicated to cultural, safety, and early childhood professional development opportunities. "If you see us around, please wave," said Hawaiʻi South Program Site Manager Michelle Buck.

     Recently, the Tūtū & Me families and staff participated in holiday events in the community. On Dec. 18, a group of keiki, caregivers, and staff visited Kaʻū Hospital to sing for the residents. Said Buck, "The children had a wonderful time spreading Christmas cheer. Mahalo, Kaʻū Hospital, for allowing us to spend the morning with you."
     Tūtū & Me Traveling Preschool has been a part of the Kaʻū community for many years. Children from birth to five, accompanied by an adult caregiver, can attend the preschool from 8:45-10:45 am on Mondays and Wednesdays at Kauahaʻao Church in Waiʻōhinu. Each month's activities are based on a theme, such as My Community, Healthy Living, Insects, or Ocean Animals. Keiki interact with each other and their caregivers as they participate in nearly 20 different centers. Each month a huakaʻi, field trip, is planned, and Tūtū and Me families gather together to experience the resources in the nearby communities. Special guests, Nurse Becky and Auntie Barbara, from Something Good In the World, visit monthly.

     Said Buck, "The Tūtū & Me staff enjoy planning and preparing activities, providing resources to families, collaborating with other local partners, and serving this beautiful community. Thank you for supporting us through the years. It is an honor to educate the young children of Kaʻū."