OUTAGE ALERT Hawaiian Electric to initiate brief rolling outages on Hawai‘i Island due to unexpected loss of generators

OUTAGE ALERT

Hawaiian Electric to initiate brief rolling outages on Hawai‘i Island due to unexpected loss of generators

Customers asked to conserve energy until 9 p.m. tonight

HILO, Mar. 14, 2023 – Hawaiian Electric is initiating 30-minute rolling outages in parts of Hawaiʻi Island tonight due to the unexpected loss of two large generators. In addition, wind resources are near zero.

Outages will start in the areas of Ainaloa and Pāhoa, Captain Cook to Honaunau, and Halaula along Akoni Pule Highway from Iole Road to Niuli Place at about 6:45 p.m. The brief emergency outages will be initiated in various areas around the island to protect the electric system and prevent loss of power to an even greater number of customers. The impacted areas and the timing of the outages are based on the amount of electric demand that needs to be reduced.

Earlier today, Hawaiian Electric urged customers to conserve energy as much as possible, especially between 5 to 9 p.m. Commercial customers were also asked to voluntarily reduce electricity usage. While demand has eased, there still remains a generation shortfall.

“We apologize for the need to initiate rolling blackouts this evening and appreciate the patience of all who are impacted,” said Kristen Okinaka, spokesperson for Hawaiian Electric’s operations on Hawai‘i Island. “We are faced with a generation shortfall, and it’s necessary to leave some people without power for short periods to protect the entire electrical grid until needed generation can be returned to service.”

Impacted customers are advised to unplug televisions, computers and other electronics and appliances to protect them from electrical surges when power is restored. Customers also should minimize opening the refrigerator-freezer doors while the power is out.

The need to conserve is prompted by the unavailability of two large generators. Hamakua Energy tripped offline and is undergoing repairs and Hawaiian Electric’s Hill Plant Unit #6 is offline due to a mechanical issue. Combined, these units supply about 80 megawatts of power. In addition, wind resources are forecast to be near zero. Please check @HIElectricLight on Twitter for updates.