Kauai Island Utility Cooperative received approval from the State Board of Land and Natural Resources for holdover of a permit to use water at the Blue Hole diversion to operate two hydroelectric facilities.
The diversion allows a portion of the water to run to the Upper and Lower Waiahi hydroelectric plants, totaling 1.5 MW, from the North Fork of the Wailua River, according to a Dec. 8 release.
The cooperative plans to continue to pursue a long-term lease for the Blue Hole diversion, which requires the State Commission on Water Resources Management to set interim instream flow standards, according to the news release. The cooperative said it will also be consulting with the Department of Hawaiian Homelands on their water needs.
