This month, the Kaua`i Island Utility Cooperative is expected to begin license negotiations with the state Agribusiness Development Corporation for a 25-megawatt pumped storage hydroelectric project in West Kaua`i.
Pumped storage is one of several ways the utility hopes to deal with excess solar-generated electricity from the increasing number of residential photovoltaic systems on the island, according to a recent report by KIUC chief of operations Michael Yamane. At the ADC board’s meeting in August, KIUC consultant Jason Hines, co-owner of Joule Group, LLC, provided an update on the utility’s progress.
Earlier this year, the ADC issued KIUC a right-of-entry to access the agency’s Kekaha lands and irrigation systems to conduct due diligence. According to Hines, the utility completed preliminary biological studies, assessed potential pipeline routes, and inspected the condition of the area’s reservoirs, among other things.
The project would would be a closed loop system with a daily storage capacity of 250,000 kilowatt hours, and would simply shuffle a fixed amount of water around, rather than divert water from agriculture, he continued.
The utility is actually looking at two alternatives — “Pu`u Lua” and “Pu`u `Opae.” They would use the Koke`e ditch system and possibly portions of the Kekaha ditch system, he said, adding that both projects span lands controlled by the ADC, the state Department of Land and Natural Resources, and the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands.
With regard to the projects’ agricultural benefits, Hines explained that they would actually provide more water for irrigation because the utility will be storing large amounts in reservoirs. In the case of the Pu`u `Opae project, KIUC would likely use the ADC’s Mana reservoir to store pumped water, he said.
For the Pu`u Lua project, the KIUC’s plan is “a bit more involved,” Hines said. There are two reservoir options: the KIUC could build a new, shallow one on the north end of the ADC’s fields, or it could expand the ADC’s existing reservoir at Polihale, he said.
The new reservoir, if built, would be located on land currently leased by the ADC to Syngenta, but not currently growing anything, Hines said.
“I want to stress we have not come up with any firm recommendation on what the best reservoir alternative is,” he said.
In any case, he said later that the projects would use KIUC capital to fix dams and portions of ditches “in a way that will extend their life and improve irrigation flexibility for the west side and take [some] of the safety and liability issues off ADC and [put] it on KIUC’s shoulders.”
He added that both projects have the potential to provide pressurized irrigation to ADC tenants.
At full capacity, the reservoirs could store 250 million gallons, 20-30 million of which would be used for pumped storage, leaving a large amount available for irrigation during dry periods, he said.
Joule’s Dawn Huff explained that once they have clearer idea of the power house location and pipe alignment, KIUC will want to open a formal discussion on a land license.
“There is an initial investment being made here. Before heavy expenditures on engineering and geotech work, we would want a discussion on the land,” she said. She added that the utility plans to seek an approval-in-concept of the project from the state Board of Land and Natural Resources soon and is still discussing the project with the DHHL.
Alan Smith, a member of the KIUC board and a former ADC board member, said the pumped storage projects would allow nearly 70 percent of the island’s electricity to come from renewable sources, “assuming this can come to fruition in a few years.”
ADC board member and Kaua`i resident Sandi Kato-Klutke asked Hines how many acres of ADC land the projects would use.
Hines said that depended on the reservoir scheme and would range from about 20 to 25 acres. Smith pointed out that the ADC controls nearly 4,000 acres in the area.
Although Hines and Smith said the community reaction so far to the project has been largely favorable, Kato-Klutke said she wanted to see more local people at the community meetings that have been held.
“I really believe you should have more meetings out there. What is going to happen to that land [is it’s] never gong to revert back to ag,” she said.
Huff admitted that they’ve had problems with the large community meetings they’ve held and have found more success with small meetings with community leaders.
ADC board member Mary Alice Evans suggested that one way to give KIUC some of the assurance it needs to justify expenditures would be for the ADC board to grant an exclusive right to negotiate for a defined period.
Volume 25, Number 4 October 2014
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