The Kauaʻi Island Utility Cooperative has submitted a wildfire mitigation plan to the Public Utilities Commission. It lays out KIUC's strategy for reducing wildfire risk, as well as its associated costs, over the next three years.
"We have what we feel is a good, robust plan for us to mitigate the danger of wildfire," said Beth Amaro, KIUC's member services and communications manager.
HPR spoke with Amaro about the details of the plan. Here are five things for Kauaʻi residents to know:
1. Utility pole maintenance
A downed utility pole can be a significant hazard. KIUC is currently conducting maintenance on more than 16,000 utility poles throughout its service areas.
The utility is using a noninvasive technology called Thor's Hammer to test for decay or damage in its poles.
"We are on track to inspect about 2,000 poles a year," said Amaro.
So far, about 6% of the tested poles have shown signs of structural deterioration. Amaro said those poles are being replaced as "a matter of urgency." Poles with greater decay or specific types of equipment are being prioritized.
The utility is aiming to reinspect its poles every eight years.
2. Undergrounding lines
The elevated risk of wildfire has prompted utilities across the country, including Hawaiian Electric, to consider burying their power lines below ground.
Undergrounding may reduce wildfire risk, but it comes with a hefty price tag.
Amaro estimated that 30% of KIUC’s power lines are underground. She said that it could cost KIUC up to $6 billion to bury the rest of its lines.
"We won't be able to underground a large portion of our existing lines that are overhead just because of budgetary constraints," she said.
But KIUC is looking at strategically placing some of its lines underground.
"It would probably be in areas where vegetation is most dense and where it is very difficult to get to those areas in order to maintain that vegetation," she said.
3. Vegetation management
Amaro said KIUC has "seriously ramped up [its] vegetation management efforts."
The utility expects to spend about $3 million on vegetation management in 2025, which is triple what it has historically budgeted for that work.
In addition to removing dry and overgrown vegetation below power lines, KIUC is targeting hazardous trees for removal.
Damage to KIUC's infrastructure from falling trees and tree limbs is responsible for about a third of the power outages on Kauaʻi.
Amaro said that long-term effective vegetation management requires collaboration from the utility, the state, the county, and private landowners.
"It's going to take all of us working together to be able to do this," she said. "There's just so much open land here on Kauaʻi that's not being managed daily by agriculture."
4. Wildfire mitigation costs
It may take as much as $50 million over the next three years to fully implement KIUC's wildfire mitigation strategy, according to Amaro.
KIUC does not currently have an estimate on how customers' bills may increase to pay for the costs of the utility’s wildfire mitigation work.
"We'll have to work that out with the PUC," Amaro said.
Lawmakers passed a measure this year that makes it easier for electric cooperatives to recover costs for wildfire prevention work from ratepayers.
Amaro said that KIUC has applied for federal funding through the U.S. Department of Energy and FEMA.
"We haven't been successful yet," she said.
5. Turning off power if the wildfire risk is high
It's possible that the utility could cut power to customers in case of a wildfire. KIUC has developed protocols, similar to Hawaiian Electric’s Public Safety Power Shutoff program, for preemptively de-energizing its lines as a wildfire prevention measure.
KIUC calls its program "Power Isolation."
"It's important for our members to be prepared. Power Isolation could happen, and by its very nature, is probably going to happen with very short notice," Amaro said.
Amaro said KIUC will try to notify customers in advance, but that may not be feasible if dangerous weather conditions arise quickly.
The utility has subscribed to a mass notification service called Everbridge that will send out warnings of power shut-offs via phone, email, and text to customers.
It is also working with Kauaʻi County's Agency on Elderly Affairs to prepare seniors who may have mobility issues or require electricity to power medical equipment.
KIUC has a list of its customers who need special medical equipment, but Amaro said some customers may be missing.
"We definitely do encourage our members to make sure that they are known to us," she said.
Customers who require electricity for medical devices can notify the utility via this form.
You can read KIUC’s full wildfire mitigation plan here. The utility will post updated versions of the plan on its website.
