PUC APPROVES HAWAIIAN ELECTRIC WILDFIRE MITIGATION PLAN AND COMPLETES WILDFIRE RECOVERY FUND STUDY
News Release from PUC, December 31, 2025
HONOLULU – In a major step toward improving public safety and the resilience of Hawaii’s electric grid, the Public Utilities Commission today approved Hawaiian Electric’s 2025-2027 Wildfire Mitigation Plan (WMP) and completed a comprehensive study on whether to establish a wildfire recovery fund.
Together, these actions reflect the commission’s commitment to reduce wildfire risk while preparing for the possibility of future disasters. As Hawaiʻi confronts increasing wildfire threats and the devastation they can bring, the commission continues to prioritize the safety, stability and long-term wellbeing of Hawaiʻi’s communities.
The Hawaiian Electric WMP outlines a range of measures to reduce the risk of utility-related wildfires across the company’s service territories on O‘ahu, Hawai‘i Island, Maui, Moloka‘i and Lāna‘i, including grid hardening, vegetation management, asset inspections, situational awareness tools, operational safety measures, and public safety power shutoff (PSPS) protocols.
The commission utilized a comprehensive review process to review the WMP that included public meetings, technical conferences, stakeholder participation and opportunities for community input.
In approving Hawaiian Electric’s WMP, the commission found that the company substantially complied with the commission’s wildfire mitigation guidelines and that the plan can be reasonably expected to reduce wildfire risk. The commission directed Hawaiian Electric to file the plan as part of its response to heightened wildfire risk statewide following the August 8, 2023 Maui wildfires, which caused catastrophic loss of life and property.
However, the commission stated that it expects the company to strengthen and refine its strategies to improve effectiveness, transparency and accountability. The commission identified several areas that require improvement and provided instructions to guide Hawaiian Electric’s 2026–2027 WMP update and its next wildfire mitigation plan covering 2028–2029.
Among the areas requiring improvement are wildfire risk modeling, timelines and targets for mitigation activities, workforce planning for post-wildfire restoration, support for vulnerable populations and critical facilities, as well as monitoring and auditing of mitigation efforts.
Act 258, Session Laws of Hawaiʻi 2025, also required the commission to study the establishment and implementation of a wildfire recovery fund. This study examined whether such a fund could provide timely and meaningful compensation to victims of future wildfires allegedly caused or exacerbated by an electric utility, while also maintaining the financial stability of Hawaiʻi’s regulated utilities.
The commission found that while a wildfire recovery fund is likely warranted in the future, it is closely intertwined with the determination of a utility liability cap and needs additional analysis.
The commission previously identified safety as its top priority in its 2024 Inclinations on the Future of Energy in Hawaiʻi. The approval of a wildfire mitigation plan and completion of the wildfire recovery fund study represent distinct but aligned steps toward that goal.
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