Workers from the Kauai Island Utility Cooperative began installing smart meters at a small senior condominium development in Lihue as part of a pilot installation.

The Garden Island reports because the infrastructure for the KIUC smart meters is not in place yet, the electric utility cooperative will physically read the meters until the ability to read the meters remotely is online.

KIUC is spending $11 million on the smart meter project, part of a national “smart grid” demonstration project.