Kauai Island Utility Cooperative (KIUC) is a non-profit electric utility cooperative that serves the island of Kauai in Hawaii. KIUC was established in 2002 and is owned by its members, who are also its customers. The cooperative is committed to providing safe, reliable, and affordable electricity to its members while also promoting sustainable energy solutions.

KIUC has been actively pursuing renewable energy projects in order to reduce its reliance on fossil fuels and promote a more sustainable energy future for Kauai. One of the sectors that KIUC has been particularly interested in is biomass and waste.

Biomass is a renewable energy source that involves using organic materials such as wood, crops, and waste to generate electricity. Biomass can be burned to produce steam, which can then be used to power turbines and generate electricity. Biomass is considered to be a carbon-neutral energy source because the carbon dioxide that is released during the combustion process is offset by the carbon dioxide that is absorbed by the plants during their growth.

KIUC has been exploring the use of biomass as a source of renewable energy for several years. In 2013, KIUC signed a contract with Green Energy Team (GET) to purchase electricity generated from a biomass plant that GET was planning to build on Kauai. The plant was designed to use wood chips from local tree trimmings and other biomass sources to generate up to 6.7 megawatts of electricity, which would be enough to power approximately 4,000 homes.

However, the biomass project faced several challenges, including opposition from some members of the community who were concerned about the environmental impact of the project. In 2016, GET announced that it was suspending its plans to build the biomass plant due to regulatory and financial challenges.

Despite the setback with the biomass project, KIUC has continued to explore other opportunities to develop renewable energy projects in the biomass sector. In 2018, KIUC announced that it had signed a contract with Green Energy Hawaii (GEH) to purchase electricity from a proposed 6-megawatt biomass plant that GEH was planning to build on Kauai.

The proposed plant would use wood chips and other biomass sources to generate electricity, and would be located on a former sugar plantation site. The plant would also include a battery storage system to help balance the intermittent nature of renewable energy sources like biomass.

KIUC has also been exploring the use of waste as a source of renewable energy. Waste-to-energy is a process that involves converting waste materials into electricity or heat. This can be done through several different methods, including incineration, gasification, and anaerobic digestion.

KIUC has been working with several partners to explore the potential for waste-to-energy projects on Kauai. In 2016, KIUC signed a memorandum of understanding with the County of Kauai and the Hawaii Department of Transportation to explore the feasibility of using waste-to-energy technology to convert waste from the county's solid waste division into electricity.

In addition, KIUC has been working with a local company called Kauai Renewable Energy (KRE) to develop a waste-to-energy project that would convert green waste from the county's landscaping division into electricity. The project would involve using an anaerobic digestion process to break down the organic material and produce biogas, which would then be used to generate electricity.

KIUC's efforts to develop renewable energy projects in the biomass and waste sectors are part of its broader commitment to promoting sustainable energy solutions on Kauai. The cooperative has set a goal of achieving 70% renewable energy by 2030, and has already made significant progress towards that goal.

As of 2021, KIUC's renewable energy portfolio includes solar, hydroelectric, and biomass sources, and the cooperative is continuing to explore new opportunities to develop renewable energy projects in other sectors as well. By investing in renewable energy and promoting sustainable energy solutions, KIUC is helping to create a more resilient and sustainable energy future for Kauai.