Proposed rebates would help Hawaiian Electric customers in wildfire risk areas purchase backup power equipment Aimed at low-to-moderate income households & those with special medical needs

Proposed rebates would help Hawaiian Electric customers in
wildfire risk areas purchase backup power equipment
Aimed at low-to-moderate income households & those with special medical needs
HONOLULU, Oct. 22, 2025 – Qualified Hawaiian Electric customers in wildfire risk areas who
are subject to preemptive power shutoffs would be eligible to receive a rebate for the purchase
of backup power equipment, under a new company proposal.
The Backup Power Rebate Program, designed to serve low-to-moderate income (LMI)
households and customers with special medical needs, would provide eligible residential
customers a rebate of up to $500 for the purchase of a portable generator and up to $1,000 for
the purchase of a portable battery. Commercial customers would be eligible for a rebate of $400
per kilowatt for the purchase of a generator or battery.
For qualified residential customers, the program would be limited to home addresses that fall
within areas subject to Hawaiian Electric’s Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) on Maui,
Moloka‘i, Hawai‘i Island and O‘ahu. For commercial customers the rebate is proposed for all
areas served by Hawaiian Electric, with prioritization given to those located in PSPS areas.
The primary goal is to provide LMI households and customers with special medical needs with
the minimum power required to keep essential household appliances such as a refrigerator and
medical equipment running during outages.
“We are sensitive to the fact that customers affected by PSPS events may experience extended
power outages,” said Brendan Bailey, Hawaiian Electric vice president of customer service. “We
want to make sure that vulnerable populations have access to backup power as the company
works to reduce wildfire risks and keep customers safe.”
For commercial customers, the program would not only help strengthen their own resilience but
the electric grid as a whole. Backup generators at commercial locations could be used to
support resilience hubs within communities, which is a key part of Hawaiian Electric’s wildfire
safety strategy. Businesses could be called upon to use their generators to help offset load on
the system if an island encounters a generation shortfall.
The two-year pilot program, submitted for regulatory review, would authorize rebates totaling $3
million per year on the five islands served by Hawaiian Electric. When fully subscribed, the
program is expected to serve about 4,800 residential customers and support commercial
resilience hub development.

The funding would be allocated in an amount roughly proportional to the number of customers
on each island that are in designated PSPS zones. Accordingly, about half of the funding would
be allocated to customers in Maui County, with 40% going to customers on Hawai‘i Island and
10% to customers on O‘ahu. After two years Hawaiian Electric would review the program’s
performance and seek feedback on whether to extend it.
To qualify for the program, residential customers would have to either prove LMI status using
the same process as Hawaiian Electric’s BYOD Plus program for LMI self-certification, or
registration with the company’s Special Medical Needs registry.
Hawaiian Electric’s PSPS program was launched in mid-2024 as part of the company’s wildfire
safety strategy. It enables the company to proactively shut off electricity in high-risk areas during
extreme conditions to prevent electrical equipment from igniting wildfires. Shutoffs are only
implemented when there is a severe fire danger and other preventative measures are deemed
insufficient.
The company designated specific circuits on Maui, Hawai‘i Island, O‘ahu and Moloka‘i
that are subject to PSPS. The areas were designated based on wildfire history, vegetation
dryness, wind exposure and evacuation challenges. PSPS decisions are made on a case-bycase basis, guided by National Weather Service red flag warnings and current field conditions.
Customers on life support with special medical needs are urged to prepare now for the
possibility of extended power outages. Hawaiian Electric asks those customers to provide their
contact information to receive future notifications in advance of a PSPS by submitting an
online Medical Needs Communications Form.
Hawaiian Electric is seeking approval from the Public Utilities Commission to recover the cost of
the program from customers. The company estimates that the average monthly bill impact for a
residential customer using 500 kilowatt hours would be $1.64 on Maui, $1.10 on Hawai‘i Island
and $0.08 on O‘ahu. For customers on Molokai and Lāna‘i using 400 kilowatt hours per month
the estimated bill impact would be $1.31.