Hawaiian Electric and other state utilities are pursuing infrastructure upgrades aimed at hardening the grid against outages from storms, wildfires, and other disruptions. The effort includes undergrounding lines, adding battery storage, and improving real-time monitoring across the network. The work is happening alongside ongoing scrutiny of Hawaiian Electric following the 2023 Maui fires.
Key Upgrades and Grid Hardening
Critical Pole Hardening: Replacing vulnerable wooden utility poles with more resilient composite or steel poles in high-risk wildfire areas, including sections of Honoapiilani Highway in Lahaina and Farrington Highway on the Waianae Coast.
Advanced Monitoring: Deploying high-resolution, AI-assisted video cameras and localized weather stations in high- and medium-risk wildfire zones to improve real-time situational awareness and early detection.
Federal Investment: Multiple grid reliability and resilience projects are being supported through $50 million in federal funding, while Hawaiian Electric is separately carrying out a $190 million Climate Adaptation program focused on strengthening infrastructure.
Strategic Undergrounding: Continuing efforts to place selected neighborhood overhead power lines underground in areas vulnerable to vegetation-related outages and severe wind damage.