Hawaiian Electric will cut power eight hours a day for six days on the east side of Moloka’i starting this weekend to replace aging wiring and reduce wildfire risk. Residents say the abrupt outage threatens stored food supplies, but HECO rejected community requests to adjust the schedule.
- HECO will conduct planned eight-hour daily blackouts for six days on east Moloka’i beginning Saturday to replace decades-old copper wiring with aluminum conductors.
- The grid work is part of a broader $190 million infrastructure hardening effort accelerated after the 2023 Lahaina wildfires.
- Community members warned the outages will cause significant food spoilage for subsistence households that rely on hunting, fishing, and farming.
- HECO rejected resident proposals to modify the work schedule, citing technical, safety, and logistical constraints.
- The project is intended to reduce wildfire ignition risk and improve long-term grid reliability on the island.
Source: Civil Beat
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