<p>Hawaiian Electric is under scrutiny for allegedly slow-walking modernization and repairs of its electrical grid before the fire that ripped through the island of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/maui" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Maui</a> last week.</p>
<p>Hawaiian Electric is <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/hawaii" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hawaii</a>’s principle electric utility, <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/hawaiian-electric-lawsuits-mismanagement-wildfire-maui-rcna100208" target="_blank" rel="noopener">providing</a> power to roughly 95% of the state. Financial disclosures and reports show the company worried about the state of its electrical grid, and specifically the risk of wildfires, but devoted resources to building out the utility’s green energy network with limited action to mitigate fire risk, according to <a href="https://www.wsj.com/us-news/wildfire-risk-maui-hawaiian-electric-7beed21e" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Wall Street Journal</a>.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/17/business/energy-environment/hawaiian-electric-maui-wildfire.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">scrutiny</a> on the company’s past priorities comes as it faces allegations in court that it is to blame for the fire last week that ripped through the historic beach town of Lahaina, killing over 100 people and destroying thousands of buildings. The wildfire is the deadliest in modern American history, surpassing California’s Camp Fire that destroyed the town of Paradise in 2019.</p>
<p>Hawaiian Electric CEO Shelee Kimura said during a press conference this week that the utility would be launching its own investigation. She said it would cooperate with an investigation by the state attorney general as well.</p>
<p>“We will be doing our own investigation. The state will be doing an investigation. We will cooperate fully in that. I think we all believe it’s important to understand what happened, and I think we all believe it’s important to make sure it never happens again,” Kimura said this week.</p>
<p>The utility concluded in a 2019 report after one of the worst fire seasons in Maui’s history that the company needed to do more to mitigate fire risk. From 2019 to 2022, the utility spent less than $245,000 on projects to mitigate fire risk, according to financial filings reviewed by WSJ. The utility said it spent $84 million to clear hazards away from power lines and on maintenance since 2018.</p>
<p>The focus on Hawaii’s energy priorities over the past decade has been dominated by its push for green energy. The state enacted a first-in-the-country law in 2015 mandating that Hawaii’s grid be powered by 100% renewable energy by 2045. In 2021, regulators <a href="https://www.npr.org/2022/01/15/1066578157/bidens-climate-agenda-is-stalled-in-congress-in-hawaii-one-key-part-is-going-ahe" target="_blank" rel="noopener">finished</a> a top-to-bottom restructuring of the regulatory framework to guide that transition, offering Hawaiian Electric large bonuses for finishing green energy projects on time, and threatening the utility with fines if it missed deadlines.</p>
<p><strong><a href="https://onelink.to/dwapp">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILY WIRE APP</a></strong></p>
<p>“You have to look at the scope and scale of the transformation within [Hawaiian Electric] that was occurring throughout the system,” Mina Morita, the 2011-2015 chair of the state utilities commission, told WSJ. “While there was concern for wildfire risk, politically the focus was on electricity generation.”</p>
<p>The utility submitted a plan to the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission last year that said the utility would spend $190 million on projects on Maui such as removing trees and brush from areas around power lines and shoring up the island’s aging electrical infrastructure. While the commission approved the plan, Hawaiian electric put off implementing it until it received approval to pay for the project by increasing rates on customers. That approval still has not been given, according to WSJ.</p>

<script async src="https://www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<script async src="https://www.tiktok.com/embed.js"></script><div data-widget-host="revcontent" data-pub-id="165152" data-widget-id="290588"></div><script src="https://delivery.revcontent.com/165152/290588/widget.js"></script>

Hawaii Utility Pursued Green Energy Goals While Fire Mitigation Projects Were Delayed

CONTINUE READING

Trump Says Netflix Should Fire ‘Racist, Trump Deranged’ Susan Rice

Trump Orders Release Of ‘Any And All’ Info On Aliens And UFOs

Man Targets DHS Building With Stolen Ambulance In Attempted Arson Attack

Bill Gates Drops Out Of Keynote Speech Last Minute As Epstein Rumors Swirl

Trump Left The World Health Org Last Year. Now, He’s Replacing It.

One Of The CDC’s Biggest Critics Is Now In Charge Of The Whole Thing

News

Disasters

Hawaii

Maui

U.S.

Wildfires

A video goes viral showing a baby being refused his mother by two gay "dads". This is just the tip of the iceberg, which is why we will have an important discussion today about surrogacy. 

Hour 1

The Matt Walsh Show

Ep. 1765 - This Video Is One Of The Worst Things I've Seen In A Long Time 

The Strait of Hormuz officially opens for business (kind of), the Pope makes “shocking” comments on immigration, and President Trump promises UFO disclosure at TPUSA. 


The Michael Knowles Show

Ep. 1956 -  Pope Leo's "SHOCKING" Immigration Comments EXPLAINED

A false miscreed has corrupted our leadership class.


The Andrew Klavan Show

Ep. 1275 - Dumb, Dumber and Progressive

President Trump announces a 10-day ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel, a murder-suicide involving former Democratic Lieutenant Governor Justin Fairfax shakes Virginia, and France and Britain hold a conference to secure the Strait of Hormuz – after the Iranian conflict ends. Get the facts first with Morning Wire.

- - -

Ep. 2738

- - -

Wake up with new Morning Wire merch: https://bit.ly/4lIubt3

- - -

Today's Sponsors:

Alliance Defending Freedom - Visit https://JoinADF.com/WIRE or text 'WIRE' to 83848 to learn more.

Pocket Hose - Text MORNING to 64000 to get a FREE pocket pivot and their 10-pattern sprayer with the purchase of ANY size Copper Head hose. Message and data rates may apply.

Morning Wire

U.S. Expands Hormuz Blockade & VA Fairfax Deaths Investigated | 4.17.26

U.S. Expands Hormuz Blockade & VA Fairfax Deaths Investigated | 4.17.26 [Member Exclusive]

A ceasefire goes into effect between Israel and Lebanon, a tragic murder-suicide rocks Virginia, and Dairy Queen deploys AI in the drive-thru. Get the facts first with Evening Wire.
- - -
Ep. 2737
- - -
Wake up with new Morning Wire merch: https://bit.ly/4lIubt3 
- - -
Today’s Sponsor:

Alliance Defending Freedom - Visit https://JoinADF.com/WIRE or text “WIRE” to 83848 to learn more.


Evening Wire: Lebanon Ceasefire Begins & Murder-Suicide Rocks VA | 4.16.26

The Pendragon Cycle

Menu

— News —

Hawaii Utility Pursued Green Energy Goals While Fire Mitigation Projects Were Delayed