Thursday, November 14, 2024
Hawai'i Free Press

Current Articles | Archives

Saturday, December 15, 2018
HELCO Pushing $13.4M Rate Hike
By News Release @ 12:36 PM :: 6427 Views :: Hawaii County , Energy, Cost of Living

Hawaii Electric Light proposes 3.4% rate increase

Grid modernization, storm resilience, renewable energy work drive costs

News Release from HELCO

HILO, Dec. 14, 2018 – Hawaii Electric Light Company today proposed an increase of Hawaii Island base rates to help pay for rising operating costs, including the use of new tools to modernize the grid and continue a comprehensive vegetation management plan to reduce outages.

Rate reviews are required by the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) every three years.

The request is for a 3.4 percent increase in revenues, or $13.4 million over revenues at current effective rates. If approved, a typical residential bill for 500 kilowatt-hours on Hawaii Island would increase by $8.21 a month. Any increase would likely not take effect until late 2019.

Until the Kilauea eruption shut down the Puna Geothermal Venture (PGV) facility, Hawaii Island led the state in the use of renewable energy, increasing from 35 percent in 2010 to 63 percent in the first quarter of 2018. Even without PGV, Hawaii Electric Light continues to be a renewable energy leader, with wind, hydroelectricity and solar generating nearly half the island’s electricity.

Part of the proposed rate increase will help pay for continued improvements to the power grid to help integrate even more renewable resources while improving reliability. More than 12,000 customers now have private rooftop solar.

Other work includes:

  • Grid modernization, including the use of fault indicators to pinpoint outages faster and detect problems before they can interrupt service
  • Repairs to facilities damaged by the Kilauea eruption and increasing operation of power plants to cover loss of electricity from PGV
  • Increased vegetation management, including albizia trimming and removal, to continue progress that has resulted in an estimated 50 percent reduction in vegetation-related outages over the past five years
  • Repair and repower of the Waiau hydroelectric plant, expected to double its capacity and increase renewable energy on Hawaii Island
  • Upgrades, repair and replacement of utility equipment to improve reliability
  • Enhanced cybersecurity to keep the power grid secure and customer information safe

---30--- 

IM: 

IM: Is HELCO Naughty or Nice?

HTH: HELCO seeks rate hike

Links

TEXT "follow HawaiiFreePress" to 40404

Register to Vote

2aHawaii

Aloha Pregnancy Care Center

AntiPlanner

Antonio Gramsci Reading List

A Place for Women in Waipio

Ballotpedia Hawaii

Broken Trust

Build More Hawaiian Homes Working Group

Christian Homeschoolers of Hawaii

Cliff Slater's Second Opinion

DVids Hawaii

FIRE

Fix Oahu!

Frontline: The Fixers

Genetic Literacy Project

Grassroot Institute

Habele.org

Hawaii Aquarium Fish Report

Hawaii Aviation Preservation Society

Hawaii Catholic TV

Hawaii Christian Coalition

Hawaii Cigar Association

Hawaii ConCon Info

Hawaii Debt Clock

Hawaii Defense Foundation

Hawaii Family Forum

Hawaii Farmers and Ranchers United

Hawaii Farmer's Daughter

Hawaii Federation of Republican Women

Hawaii History Blog

Hawaii Jihadi Trial

Hawaii Legal News

Hawaii Legal Short-Term Rental Alliance

Hawaii Matters

Hawaii Military History

Hawaii's Partnership for Appropriate & Compassionate Care

Hawaii Public Charter School Network

Hawaii Rifle Association

Hawaii Shippers Council

Hawaii Together

HiFiCo

Hiram Fong Papers

Homeschool Legal Defense Hawaii

Honolulu Navy League

Honolulu Traffic

House Minority Blog

Imua TMT

Inouye-Kwock, NYT 1992

Inside the Nature Conservancy

Inverse Condemnation

July 4 in Hawaii

Land and Power in Hawaii

Lessons in Firearm Education

Lingle Years

Managed Care Matters -- Hawaii

MentalIllnessPolicy.org

Missile Defense Advocacy

MIS Veterans Hawaii

NAMI Hawaii

Natatorium.org

National Parents Org Hawaii

NFIB Hawaii News

NRA-ILA Hawaii

Obookiah

OHA Lies

Opt Out Today

Patients Rights Council Hawaii

Practical Policy Institute of Hawaii

Pritchett Cartoons

Pro-GMO Hawaii

RailRipoff.com

Rental by Owner Awareness Assn

Research Institute for Hawaii USA

Rick Hamada Show

RJ Rummel

School Choice in Hawaii

SenatorFong.com

Talking Tax

Tax Foundation of Hawaii

The Real Hanabusa

Time Out Honolulu

Trustee Akina KWO Columns

Waagey.org

West Maui Taxpayers Association

What Natalie Thinks

Whole Life Hawaii