HECO to offer information on its Public Safety Power Shutoff program at upcoming Maui events

Hawaiian Electric Company will host Emergency Preparedness Open Houses in Upcountry and West Maui to discuss their Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) program. A separate event is planned in Central Maui as part of the Maui County Disaster Preparedness Expo.

• The Upcountry open house will be this Saturday, June 22 at King Kekaulike High School’s cafeteria from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.
• The West Maui open house will be held on Saturday, July 13 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Nāpili Noho Emergency Resource Hub.
• The Central Maui Disaster Preparedness Expo takes place on Saturday, July 13 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Queen Kaʻahumanu Center in Kahului.

HECO’s Public Safety Power Shutoff or PSPS program for lessening the risk of wildfires in Hawaiʻi, launches on July 1.

As part of this program, Hawaiian Electric may preemptively shut off power in certain areas it has identified as high risk during periods of forecast high winds and dry conditions. This program is the company’s last line of defense to keep communities safe and may result in extended power outages.

The program will start in areas that Hawaiian Electric has determined present higher wildfire risk factors. In the future, Hawaiian Electric intends to expand the program to cover all high-risk areas served by Hawaiian Electric. This program is described as just one component of Hawaiian Electric’s three-phase Wildfire Safety Strategy.

More details can be found online here.