Petition by Kauai hydroelectric opponents declared invalid
Kauai Island Utility Cooperative has dismissed a second petition from members opposing the utility’s plans to pursue hydroelectric projects on the island, saying the document did not have enough valid signatures.
The petition received July 11 was the second attempt by members to challenge KIUC’s plans to tap the island’s streams and rivers for hydroelectric power. KIUC members earlier this month affirmed by a nearly 3-to-1 margin the board’s action to hire hydropower contractor Free Flow Power.
For a petition to be valid it must contain 250 or more signatures of KIUC members in good standing, the utility said in a news release. At the completion of the verification process by KIUC and its legal counsel it was determined that only 185 of the 291 signatures submitted were valid, requiring no further action by the KIUC board of directors.