PUC holds informational meeting as Hawaiian Electric outlines 2025–27 wildfire mitigation plan

The Hawaii Public Utilities Commission on Tuesday held the first of two public informational meetings on docket number 20250156, where Hawaiian Electric Co. (HECO) outlined a 2025–2027 wildfire mitigation plan focused on reducing ignition risk from utility infrastructure.

HECO representative Mark Asano described the company’s approach as built on four pillars — grid hardening, situational awareness, operational practices and stakeholder and community partnerships — and said the primary objective is to “minimize ignition risks from our infrastructure.” The Commission is gathering public feedback as part of its review under PUC Order No. 41531.

The meeting matters because the plan will be evaluated by the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) for technical feasibility, resource efficiency, measurable progress and public-interest considerations; the PUC said it will assess whether the plan can reasonably be expected to reduce wildfire risk.

In his presentation, Asano said HECO has identified high-, medium- and low-risk areas across the islands it serves and will prioritize mitigations in high- and medium-risk zones. Components HECO described included upgrading poles, expanded…