Hawaiian Electric program to cut power during wildfire risk

HONOLULU (KHON2) — When weather conditions are dangerous enough to damage powerlines and start fires, Hawaiian Electric (HECO) said it has a plan to keep people safe.

HECO calls its Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) plan, the last line of defense in potential disaster. The company identified specific areas on each island that have high wildfire risk and may be subject to a PSPS.

“Removing the potential for an ignition from one of our pieces of equipment to start a wildfire,” stated HECO’s Vice President Jim Kelly. “We’ve come to understand that wildfires are pretty common out there over the last 10 to 15 years.”

Conditions that might trigger a PSPS include drought, winds above 45 to 50 miles an hour, and humidity below 45 percent. HECO plans to alert customers at least 24 hours in advance through a broadcast messaging system.

“People are going to get multiple messages on every kind of communications device that they have: email, text, phone calls,” said Kelly. “We’re going to be in close touch with HI EMA, with the fire department, police department, all of our emergency responders.”

Those who need power for their medical devices or need other accommodations can get registered with HECO. As of now, the company cannot offer batteries or discounts for batteries, according to Kelly.

“We’re looking to see if that’s something that we can evolve into.” said Kelly.