What's Being Discussed

The Hawaii Public Utilities Commission (PUC) is hosting a public townhall meeting for residents of West Hawaiʻi Island to talk about Hawaiian Electric's service reliability, particularly problems caused by recent storm and weather events such as the Kona Low storm system. The meeting will cover:

• An overview of the PUC's role in overseeing utility companies
• The role of the Consumer Advocate, who represents the public's interests in utility matters
• A presentation from Hawaiian Electric on weather-related outages and steps being taken to improve reliability
• An open questions and concerns session for residents to speak up

This meeting is part of an ongoing formal review (Docket No. 2021-0024) of Hawaiian Electric's plans to improve its electrical grid and eventually retire fossil fuel power plants.

Decisions Expected

No formal votes or binding decisions are expected at this meeting. This is an informational and public input session. The Commission will use comments and questions gathered from the public to inform its ongoing review of Hawaiian Electric's performance and plans.

Who Should Pay Attention

• West Hawaiʻi residents who experienced power outages or other service disruptions during recent storms
• Hawaiian Electric customers in the Kailua-Kona area with concerns about the reliability of their electric service
• Anyone interested in how the state oversees and regulates the electric utility

The meeting runs from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, at the Kealakehe High School Cafeteria in Kailua-Kona. For disability accommodations, contact the PUC at (808) 586-2020 or puc@hawaii.gov.