Hawaiian Electric outlines wildfire-safety strategy, calls PSPS the "last line of defense"

HILO — Hawaiian Electric officials on Aug. 6 told a Hawaii County council committee that the utility has adopted a three-phase wildfire-safety strategy and that public-safety power shutoffs (PSPS) would be used only as a "last line of defense" in extreme fire-weather conditions.

Jennifer Zalco, director of government and community affairs for Hawaiian Electric, described the strategy as threefold: immediate steps already in place such as on-the-ground spotters and fast-trip circuit settings; mid-term measures including expanded aerial and drone inspections, infrared cameras and fault indicators; and longer-term actions such as localized weather technology, strategic undergrounding and expanded use of covered conductors. Zalco said the company is pursuing federal funding and continuing vegetation management to reduce wildfire risk.

Kevin Walton, Hawaiian Electric's director for Hawaii Island, said PSPS is intended to prevent ignitions by proactively opening circuits when conditions could create a high wildfire threat. Walton said circuits for PSPS have been identified and the program was scheduled to launch July 1, but the company had not executed a PSPS on any circuit at the time of the briefing. "Public safety power shutoff is the last line of defense," Walton said.

Why it matters: PSPS can prevent fires caused by electrical infrastructure but can also create extended outages that affect households, medical-device users and critical services. Hawaiian Electric emphasized coordination with county civil defense, water providers and telecommunications companies and said it is trying to give communities advance notice and resources.

Officials described several technical triggers and inputs that inform PSPS decisions. Walton said Hawaiian Electric relies on National Weather Service fire-weather products (a fire-weather watch followed by a red-flag warning), fuel dryness indices and field reports. He cited thresholds the utility monitors, including elevated KBDI values, relative humidity under the mid-40 percent range and sustained high winds; those inputs stand up the utility's incident-management team, which makes operational decisions. Walton also noted that PSPS decisions are made circuit by circuit, not by switching off every area shown on the utility's public map.

The company outlined post-shutoff procedures, saying crews must drive and visually inspect lines segment-by-segment and repair damage before re-energizing. Walton acknowledged that because crews cannot be everywhere on long circuits, the time to restore service may be uncertain and will depend on field conditions and safety assessments.

Community preparedness and outreach were recurring themes. Zalco announced a community resilience fair in Kona on Aug. 19 at Kealakehe High School and urged residents to sign up for Everbridge alerts and Hawaiian Electric's PSPS page (hawaiianelectric.com/psps). She highlighted a medical-needs registration that allows the utility to notify customers who rely on electrically powered medical equipment.

Council members pressed the utility on practical impacts. Council member Leroy asked whether PSPS messaging could use the same watch/warning vocabulary as the National Weather Service so residents would have a clearer lead time; Walton said NWS products drive the utility's watch and warning cadence. Council member Evans raised concerns about damage from power surges when circuits are re-energized and asked about reimbursement; Walton recommended that customers file claims promptly so the utility can investigate voltage recordings and determine whether damage resulted from utility operations or from preexisting conditions on customer premises.

The committee voted to close file on the Hawaiian Electric communication (Communication 946) after the presentation. The motion was made by Council member Heather Kimball and seconded by Council member Leroy; the clerk recorded five ayes and noted several council members were excused.

Looking ahead, Hawaiian Electric said it will continue to refine PSPS criteria, expand local weather sensing and cameras, and increase community outreach to help residents prepare for possible shutoffs and to identify vulnerable customers who may need targeted notifications.