#MECO

In May, 15 goats were set up in within a fenced 1-acre area of Upcountry Maui and cleared the vegetation within eight days.

The annual Hawaiʻi Home Energy Assistance Program (H-HEAP), which offers credits on utility bills for income-qualifying households, will accept applications between June 1 and June 30 at Maui Economic Opportunity offices in Wailuku, Hāna, Lānaʻi City and Kaunakakai, Molokaʻi.

Wildfire debris transfer, HECO updates, and financial counseling from Hale Mahaolu are among topics to be discussed.

Hawaiian Electric donated to Maui Economic Opportunity a total of 150 toiletry and hygiene items, including shampoo, soap, toothbrushes, toothpaste and laundry soap, to be given to Head Start preschool families and Community Services clients in need.

Hawaiian Electric is improving its outage reporting system on Hawaiʻi Island and in Maui County. As part of the new system, the current phone numbers to report outages will be replaced with new toll-free numbers, effective May 8, 2025.

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.

To maintain reliable service, Hawaiian Electric contractors will be performing tree trimming along Nāpili Place in the West Maui area on Monday, April 7, from 6:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Hawaiian Electric will continue to use unmanned aircraft, or drones, for aerial inspections of its infrastructure in various areas of Upcountry Maui on weekdays throughout the month of April, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., weather permitting. The inspections will take place in parts of Olinda, Piʻiholo, Kula, Kēōkea and ʻUlupalakua.

Hawaiian Electric crews will be working to upgrade utility poles using bucket trucks on Honoapi‘ilani Highway in the Waikapū area between Kūihelani Highway and Waikō Road on Tuesday, Jan. 7 and Wednesday, Jan. 8, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily. The work is to maintain reliable service and involves pole replacements that will impact area […]

Hawaiian Electric has completed power restoration to all remaining customers impacted by Tropical Storm Hone, with the exception of those who must repair damage to their property before service can safely be restored. Power has also been restored to all Maui and O‘ahu customers impacted by the storm.

Hawaiian Electric is gearing up for a transformative decade on Maui, as the utility company plans to retire 88 megawatts (MW) of its fossil fuel firm generators, or roughly 35% of the firm generator capacity on Maui. This major overhaul is driven by state environmental regulations and difficulties in sourcing parts for aging generators, many of which have become obsolete.

Suspension of service disconnections for all Hawaiian Electric customers on Maui has been extended through at least Aug. 31, 2024, in accordance with the extension of Gov. Josh Green’s emergency proclamation. Maui customers who are financially challenged by the devastating wildfires will not have to worry about potential disconnection of their electric service, according to a company announcement.

Hawaiian Electric’s presentation will include information on general timing and cost components for various Maui projects and programs including: the planned Kahului Power Plant closure, proposed Mā‘alaea Power Plant unit retirements, status of new generation projects, current reserve margins, future infrastructure and reliability improvements, and Hawaiian Electric’s Public Safety Power Shutoff changes.

Hawaiian Electric Company will provide a presentation about its current operations and future plans for Maui’s electric grid at an in-person and virtual informational meeting hosted by the Hawai‘i Public Utilities Commission on Tuesday, July 2.

Hawaiian Electric Company unveiled details today regarding its Public Safety Power Shutoff or PSPS program for lessening the risk of wildfires in Hawaiʻi, which will launch 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. In Maui County, the program will start in West Maui, Upcountry, parts of Central and South Maui, and parts of central Molokaʻi (affecting approximately 26,100 customers).

Update (8:20 a.m. May 10, 2024). Power has been restored to all customers impacted by earlier outages in Kahului and Lahaina.

A critical transmission line that serves as a back-up route of power to approximately 11,000 customers in West Maui is now online after Hawaiian Electric rebuilt the line along former routes in the Lahaina area with new steel and wood poles and electrical equipment. 

Ameresco, Inc. is hosting a open house community meeting on Tuesday, May 7, to provide information and seek community input about its ‘Ūkiu Energy project located across from the Central Maui Landfill behind Hawaiian Electric’s Waena substation.

Hawaiian Electric will be using unmanned aircraft, or drones, for aerial inspections of its infrastructure in the Kāʻanapali, West Maui area on Wednesday, April 3, from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., weather permitting.

Hawaiian Electric is seeking public comment for the preliminary draft of the Integrated Grid Planning Request for Proposals, the latest phase of clean energy procurements aimed at stabilizing rates and advancing energy equity, growing the marketplace for large-scale renewables, creating a modern and resilient grid, and securing reliability as existing fossil fuel generators reach the end of their useful lives.