Why We Are Challenging HECO's Wildfire Mitigation Plan
As a community living on the front lines of Hawaii's wildfire crisis, the safety of Waikōloa Village is our highest priority. This is why we have been closely monitoring Hawaiian Electric's (HECO/HELCO) development of a new Wildfire Mitigation Plan (WMP), mandated by the state after the tragic fires of recent years.
After a thorough review of the plan HECO submitted in January 2025, the Wildfire Safety Advocates of Waikōloa (WSAW) has filed formal comments with the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) urging them not to approve it.
We believe this plan in its current state fails our community and the spirit of the law. Here’s a summary of why.
The plan identifies strategies designed to protect HECO from liability... rather than strategies designed to harden the system to preserve service during high risk periods when the need for reliable service is greatest.
Our Core Concerns with HECO’s Plan
It prioritizes HECO’s liability over community safety and resilience.
The plan heavily favors strategies that shut off power—like Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS) and instant circuit breakers—to prevent HECO equipment from starting a fire. While preventing ignitions is essential, the plan neglects the other half of the legal requirement: promoting the resilience of the electric system. Shutting off power is not a resilient solution; it is a failure of the system when the community needs it most.It Ignores Our Single Greatest Vulnerability: Water.
Our investigation, conducted in coordination with Hawaii Water Service (HWS), reveals a terrifying reality:Power loss immediately cuts our water production in half, from 8 wells to 4.
Backup generators only have 48 hours of fuel on site. After that, they depend on fuel trucks that could easily be blocked by fire, flood, or other disasters.
The power line HECO itself identifies as the highest-risk on the Big Island is the same line that powers our water wells. Their plan to de-energize this line first during a Red Flag warning would cripple our water supply precisely when we need it to defend our homes.
It Lacks Specificity and Accountability.
The plan is vague, listing options but not committing to specific, actionable measures for high-risk areas, such as Waikoloa. It does not explain how HECO will weigh factors like cost against community safety, and it provides no way for the public to know what level of risk reduction we can actually expect. It is more of a list of ideas than a true plan.It Fails to Embrace Modern Solutions for Resilience.
The plan overlooks a key opportunity to integrate Distributed Energy Resources (DERs)—like solar panels and battery storage—at critical sites. We advocate for policies that would encourage HECO to collaborate with major water providers, such as HWS, to install renewable microgrids at well sites. This would ensure a resilient water supply even when the main grid is shut off, truly "hardening" our community's defenses.
What We Are Asking the PUC to Do
We are not just saying "no." We are asking the PUC to:
Reject the current plan.
Expedite its rulemaking process to clearly define what a lawful Wildfire Mitigation Plan must include, ensuring it fulfills the dual mandate of preventing ignitions and promoting system resilience.
Establish clear rules that prioritize community safety and integrate distributed energy resources as a key tool for resilience.
Shutting off power is not a resilient solution; it is a failure of the system. We need a plan that integrates distributed energy resources to ensure critical services like water can be maintained.
Our Commitment to You
We have shared this detailed commentary with the PUC and our trusted contacts in the Hawaii County government. We will continue to actively participate in the upcoming PUC hearings on this critical matter.
We believe that every Waikōloa resident deserves a plan that protects both their lives and livelihoods. We will continue to fight for a plan that not only prevents fires but also provides us with the necessary tools—such as water and power—to survive one.
For a deeper dive into our technical and legal analysis, you can read our full formal comments to the PUC here: Link to Full WSAW Comments on HECO WMP
You can also read more about Hawaiian Electric’s Wildfire Mitigation Plan here: https://www.hawaiianelectric.com/safety-and-outages/wildfire-safety
Stay safe, stay informed, and stay involved.
- The Wildfire Safety Advocates of Waikōloa
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