#electrical infrastructure

County of Maui Department of Planning is informing property owners and residents within the Special Management Area (SMA) throughout Maui County of limited activities that are permissible due to the state’s emergency proclamation tied to the current and recent storms.

About 4,200 customers on the North Shore of Oʻahu have been without power since Friday morning after Hawaiian Electric de-energized circuits that cross through the flood zone. On Maui, crews continue to work to restore power to about 100 remaining customers impacted by last week’s kona low storm.

Hawaiian Electric will be using a helicopter on Thursday, April 17, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., in the West Maui area, for assessment of the company’s electrical infrastructure. Exact times and locations are subject to change depending on weather conditions.

Hawaiian Electric is raising awareness about its drone operations after one of its contracted drones was damaged while midair, downing the tool as it was being used to inspect overhead lines on Maui last week. Company representatives say the drone was purposely targeted. As part of its ongoing wildfire safety strategy, Hawaiian Electric is using unmanned aircrafts, or drones, for aerial inspections within Maui County, Hawai‘i Island and O‘ahu to inspect its electrical infrastructure in identified wildfire risk areas.

US Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm came to Maui to offer federal help for energy recovery from the fires and tout the US Energy Department’s $95 million grant to Hawaiian Electric for grid infrastructure improvements and wildfire mitigation.