CONSERVATION ALERT: Hawaii Island customers again asked to reduce electricity use from 5-9 p.m.

News Release from HELCO, 10/21/2022

HILO, Oct. 21, 2022 - Hawaiian Electric is again asking Hawaii Island customers to limit their use of electricity this evening, especially from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. The need for conservation is prompted by the unavailability of several large generators.

Last night, conservation efforts by households, businesses and government agencies helped ensure there was sufficient power to meet the evening peak demand, preventing the need for rolling outages. Hawaiian Electric asked its larger commercial customers, including government, hotels and retail, to voluntarily reduce electricity use. Hawaiian Electric thanks businesses for their help and asks the public to continue to patronize stores and restaurants tonight – they’ll still be open.

Hawaiian Electric’s combustion turbine units Kanoelehua CT-1 and Puna CT-3, which normally supply about 32 megawatts of power, are offline with mechanical issues. In addition, two units at the Keahole Power Plant are undergoing annual scheduled maintenance. These units usually supply about 36 megawatts of power. Wind resources are forecast to be lower than usual.

Hawaiian Electric’s Hill 5 unit, which unexpectedly tripped offline yesterday, was returned to service last night.

By reducing demand, Hawaiian Electric can ensure enough electricity is available and prevent the need to initiate rolling, 30-minute outages to prevent a loss of power to an even greater number of customers. If outages are necessary, Hawaiian Electric will notify customers in advance through social media. Please check @HIElectricLight on Twitter for updates.

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CONSERVATION ALERT: Hawaii Island customers asked to reduce use of electricity tonight

News Release from HELCO, 10/20/2022

HILO, Oct. 20, 2022 - Hawaiian Electric is asking Hawaii Island customers to reduce their use of electricity from 5 to 9 p.m. tonight.

The need to conserve is urgent tonight and is prompted by the unavailability of three major generators. Hawaiian Electric’s Hill 5 unit unexpectedly tripped offline this afternoon and two units at the Keahole Power Plant are undergoing annual scheduled maintenance. These units usually supply about 50 megawatts of power. In addition, wind resources are forecast to be low.

Hawaiian Electric may not have enough firm generating capacity available to meet the evening peak demand. Energy conservation can help reduce demand so that even minimal wind resources may be able to offset any shortfall. Suggested steps include turning off or reducing use of lights and air conditioners, delaying showers, laundry and dishwashing activities, and going out for dinner or minimizing cooking until later in the evening.

Hawaiian Electric is also taking these steps:

• Asking large commercial customers, including hotels and resorts, to voluntarily reduce energy use, especially heavy equipment and air conditioning
• Placing maintenance personnel on standby to address unexpected issues
• Requesting maximum output available from Puna Geothermal Venture

By reducing demand, Hawaiian Electric can ensure enough electricity is available and prevent the need to initiate rolling, 30-minute outages. If rolling outages are necessary, Hawaiian Electric will make every effort to use social media to notify customers in the affected areas in advance. Please check @HIElectricLight on Twitter for updates.