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 use of covered conductor, targeted undergrounding studies, more frequent inspections (including drone use), expanded weather stations and cameras, and operational changes such as fast-trip settings, block reclose adjustments and a public safety power shutoff (PSPS) program. Asano said roughly half of HECO’s distribution lines are already underground and that undergrounding remains costly and can be constrained by local construction, environmental and cultural considerations.

HECO described situational-awareness investments already underway, including weather stations and video cameras placed in high-risk locations and a proposed watch office for hazardous-fire weather. Asano said the company’s cameras are used by county fire departments and can notify responders of activity before a 911 call. On operational practices, Asano noted that automatic “fast trip” settings reduce energy during disturbances but can increase outage frequency and duration for customers.

On PSPS, Asano said HECO launched a program on July 1 (referred to in the presentation as having been launched “last year”) and outlined triggers used in company procedures: a National Weather Service red-flag warning or similar watch, followed by monitoring of wind gusts and relative humidity. Asano said the company currently uses thresholds near 45 miles per hour for gusts and about 45% relative humidity (or below) as factors that may lead to a shutoff decision. He said restoration is delayed until hazardous conditions pass and lines are inspected for damage, and that outages could be short or prolonged depending on whether damage is found.

The company also described outreach: more than 100 public events across islands, a wildfire safety working group involving government agencies and nonprofits, and community projects such as funding a firebreak behind Lehioku Elementary School.

Michelangelo, executive director of the Division of Consumer Advocacy (DCA) in the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, said the consumer advocate will independently review HECO’s plan, request data and submit analyses and recommendations to the Commission. “We will independently review Hawaiian Electric’s wildfire safety strategy and evaluate its reasonableness considering factors such as safety, reliability, cost effectiveness, and equity,” he said.

Henry Curtis, executive director of Lifeland, urged the Commission to view HECO’s wildfire plan within a broader resilience context, noting the utility’s earlier resilience work that identified multiple hazards. “There is absolutely no question that we must all prevent another disastrous wildfire,” Curtis said, and he recommended integrating the wildfire strategy with broader natural-hazard and resilience planning.

The PUC reminded attendees that HECO filed its wildfire mitigation plan on Jan. 10, 2025, in docket 20250156 and that the Commission’s evaluation will use HECO filings and responses to information requests. The Commission listed docket milestones: a target closing date for the current round of information requests on July 3; a July 30 deadline for the consumer advocate and intervenors to file statements of position; and an Aug. 15, 2025, deadline for HECO reply statements if necessary. Members of the public may file written comments in the docket or sign up for docket updates through the PUC’s CDMS e-services system.

No formal Commission action or vote was taken at the informational meeting; the session was described as an opportunity to receive public comment and questions for HECO and the consumer advocate.