Hawaiian Electric's Wildfire Mitigation Plan: A Step Towards Grid Resilience

Hawaiian Electric, the leading utility provider in Hawaii, has recently unveiled its comprehensive wildfire mitigation plan, aiming to enhance grid resilience and reduce the risk of wildfires ignited by utility equipment. The company's multi-year grid resilience program focuses on hardening against wildfires, hurricanes, tsunami, flooding, and adapting to the impacts of climate change. Here's a closer look at Hawaiian Electric's plan and its potential impact on customers and investors.



Hawaiian Electric's wildfire mitigation plan is a significant step towards improving grid safety and reliability. The company is investing approximately $120 million in 2024 to make wildfire safety improvements, with an estimated 60% reduction in wildfire risk from its equipment. The plan focuses on four key areas: foundational work, operational changes, situational awareness, and grid hardening.

Foundational Work:
Hawaiian Electric is developing wildfire risk maps based on the potential of ignition by utility equipment, conducting inspections of circuits in high-risk areas, and continuing ongoing vegetation management efforts. Additionally, the company is installing fire-safe fuses and lightning arrestors to further protect equipment from ignition and lightning strikes.

Operational Changes:
The company has launched a Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) program, which allows Hawaiian Electric to proactively shut off power in areas at high risk of wildfires during periods of forecast high winds and dry conditions. The company is also deploying spotters in risk areas during hazardous weather conditions and setting circuit breakers to automatically shut off power in risk areas when a disturbance is detected on a circuit.

Situational Awareness:
Hawaiian Electric is installing a network of 53 weather stations in wildfire-prone areas on four islands to provide key information about wind, temperature, and humidity. This data will help the company better predict and respond to fire weather conditions and decide whether to activate and deactivate a PSPS. Additionally, the company is installing a network of 78 artificial intelligence-assisted high-definition video cameras to help quickly detect wildfires.

Grid Hardening:
Hawaiian Electric is replacing and upgrading utility poles, replacing older overhead lines with new, more resilient lines, and installing single-phase fault current indicators to allow crews to more quickly locate disturbances on lines in high-risk areas.

The PSPS program, while designed to enhance safety and grid resilience, may cause temporary inconvenience to customers. Hawaiian Electric is implementing support mechanisms, such as advanced notification and community support, to help customers prepare and mitigate the impact of power outages. The company is also working with community partners on wildfire safety projects, such as the construction of a firebreak at Leihōkū Elementary in Wai‘anae.

In conclusion, Hawaiian Electric's wildfire mitigation plan is a significant step towards improving grid safety and reliability. The company's commitment to investing in new technology and upgrades to its infrastructure demonstrates its dedication to making the grid more resilient and improving reliability. While the PSPS program may cause temporary inconvenience to customers, Hawaiian Electric's support mechanisms and community partnerships aim to help customers prepare and mitigate the impact of power outages. As an investor, keeping an eye on Hawaiian Electric's progress in implementing its wildfire mitigation plan can provide valuable insights into the company's commitment to grid resilience and its potential impact on customers and shareholders.