Energy and Transportation

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Energy and Transportation

Objectives

The objective of the County’s Energy Program is two-fold: (1) to manage, reduce, and facilitate the County’s fossil energy use through increased efficiency in both facilities and fleets, and (2) to initiate, coordinate, and partner with stakeholders and the community on innovative programs and projects in the clean energy and transportation sector.

Energy

Small Business Energy Efficiency Grant
The Energy Program launched the Kauaʻi Small Business Energy Efficiency Grant (SBEEG). This grant will operate alongside the Kauaʻi Island Utility Cooperative’s (KIUC) Commercial Retrofit Program, which provides funding for efficiency upgrades, including 1. air conditioning, 2. lighting, 3. motors, and 4. refrigeration. This grant, which will be managed by the Kauaʻi Economic Development Board (KEDB), will cover a percentage of labor costs associated with energy efficiency upgrades, while KIUC’s program can cover a percentage of materials costs for eligible projects. For more information and to apply, click on the SBEEG Program button.
sbeeg program>
Coconut Marketplace Mobility Hub Plan
The County of Kauai is working in a Public-Private Partnership to explore the feasibility of a mobility hub and visitor information center at the Coconut Marketplace through a Mobility Hub Plan. For more information, click the button below.
Hub Plan>
Congressional Directed Spending Award: DC Fast Chargers
The County of Kauai was awarded roughly $900k to expand our public charging network and install Level 3 Electric Vehicle Chargers on Kauai. We launched a public survey to get feedback for priority locations for the chargers and intend to install chargers in Koloa, Lihue, and Kapaa, aiming for island-wide fast charging coverage in coordination with HDOT’s NEVI project where they are installing Level 3 chargers on the West Side and in Princeville. Mahalo to Senator Schatz and Senator Hirono for making this joint request.

The County of Kauai received a Department of Energy Energy Transitions Initiative Partnership Project (ETIPP) grant in the form of technical assistance from the National Renewable Energy Lab and Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. The Office of Economic Development worked with a Federal/State/County/Private sector team and the Hawaii Natural Energy Institute to study Kauai’s transportation system. The scope of work covered mobility data, a travel pattern analysis and emerging transportation technology, and a fast charger network. The partnering labs provided recommendations for multi-modal shift and electrification of transportation. The completed studies are available now:

  1. Kauai Transportation Preference Survey Analysis
  2. Kauai Island Travel Pattern Analyses
  3. Kauai Electric Vehicle Charging Network Study

Click here for more information on the award.

Transportation

There are other transportation options other than renting a vehicle.  Check out the programs below. 

Getaroundkauai.com is aimed to inform residents and visitors of the various sustainable transportation options available on Kauai.

The County of Kauaʻi will procure four battery electric buses and expand its base yard to prepare the infrastructure needed to transition its fleet to electric buses by the year 2035 and provide the space required to expand and improve transit service quality. For more information, contact Celia Mahikoa at [email protected] and see Dept. of Transportations Announcement here.

For more information, contact Christina Kaser at [email protected].

Programs by the Office of Economic Development