KIUC's Energy Wise Guys - Kauai Island Utility Cooperative

For 2008 and 2009, the average KIUC member
was without power 1.5 hours each year. “Some
were out more, and some were out less, but the
average was 1.5 hours—or 0.017 percent—
without power,” Rockwell added. That means that
KIUC’s “up time”—when electrical service is
available to all customers—was 99.983 percent in
both 2008 and 2009.
How does KIUC normally respond, and what
should customers do?
When a tree falls on a power line, the power
will go out. It merely is a question of how long. A
minor outage may result in a brief interruption—
just enough to cause a flashing 12:00 on all of
your clocks. Depending on the extent of the
damage, repairs may take time.
KIUC’s goal is to restore power safely to the
greatest number of customers in the shortest time
possible. But restoring power after a major outage
is a big job that involves much more than simply
replacing a pole, removing a tree from a line or
flipping a switch back at the office. Often, line
crews must work long hours in inclement weather
just to locate the source of the problem.
Before calling KIUC to report an outage, make
sure your house hasn’t tripped a circuit breaker.
Are your neighbor’s lights off, too? If so, turn on
your portable radio to find out whether the
outage already has been reported. If it has, you do
not need to call again. If not, call 246.4300.
When you report the outage, give your name,
address and account number (it is on your bill).
Stay near the phone at least 15 minutes after
calling so a KIUC representative can call back for
more information, if needed. If you call and
receive a busy signal or an answering machine,
most likely the call volume is too high for the
personnel on shift to handle. If that is the case, it
is safe to assume KIUC knows about the outage.
Turn on an outside light so repair crews can see
when power has been restored. Unplug voltagesensitive
electronic equipment such as computers
and televisions. When power is restored, don’t
turn everything back on at once.
Listen to the radio for outage information and
instructions in the event of a storm. Kaua‘i’s Civil
Defense station is KQNG, at 570 AM or 93.5 FM.
KUAI is at 720 AM; FM97 is at 96.9 FM. KIUC
personnel stays in contact with all three stations
and will broadcast special advisories about your
power supply. Oceanic Time Warner also carries
National Weather Service reports.
During an outage, KIUC’s media reports will
advise you of the outage start time; areas
affected; the cause of the outage, if known; and
the sequence of events related to power
restoration. You will be told when the outage has
been restored, and about any additional work that
will be needed.
Power Plant Shift Supervisor Ira Fernandez discusses the causes of an outage that occurred earlier this year
with Production Manager Brad Rockwell and Transmission & Distribution Manager Jack Leavitt.
Photo by Shelley Paik
APRIL 2010 31