HECO lifts call for power conservation
JAMM AQUINO / JAQUINO@STARADVERTISER.COM
HECO spokesperson Darren Pai speaks to the media during a news conference today at the HECO facility in Kakaako. As many as five power outages were experienced islandwide, likely because of heavy rains.
Hawaiian Electric Co. lifted its call for power conservation and said customers can resume their normal use of electricity.
Earlier today, HECO asked customers to conserve electricity use this evening, especially between 6 and 8 p.m., because of the loss of several generating units likely due to weather, a spokesman said.
Spokesman Darren Pai said that with additional generators online HECO expects to have sufficient power and does not expect to ask customers to conserve power tomorrow.
“We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience and thank our customers for their patience and understanding,” Pai said.
Pai suggested such actions as turning off or lessening use of air conditioners, delaying hot showers, laundry and dishwashing, and minimizing cooking until later in the evening.
At about 11 a.m., HECO had an unexpected loss of some power probably because of weather conditions, Pai said. This required HECO to briefly shut off power to about 60,000 customers across Oahu. The targeted emergency outages were necessary to avoid a more widespread outage or damage to the electric system from a power imbalance, he said.
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The affected areas include Iwilei, Kakaako, Pauoa, Waipahu, Waialua, Nuuanu, Moanalua, Aiea, Wahiawa and Makaha, Kaneohe, Salt Lake, Pearl City and Kailua, Kahaluu, Punaluu, Hauula, Kahuku, Kapiolani and Kapalama. Power to most affected customers was restored by about 12:35 p.m.
Pai said lightning was reported in the area when the Kalaeloa Power Plant lost approximately 120 megawatts of generating capacity. Then, three generating units at the Kahe Power Plant, which generates 314 megawatts, also went out of service. Subsequently, the HPOWER plant lost 40 megawatts of generating capacity.
Other generating units have been brought online and some of the generators that went offline earlier are being restored to service, Pai said.
30 responses to “HECO lifts call for power conservation”
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how is HECO gonna power the rail???
“Mufioso” and Caldwell are going to use “Foot Pedals” and caged City/County Council Members who will run on stepped running wheels… (Finally, a purpose for Council Members..)
giggle…my first laugh of a busy day….
Driverless. No security – assaults, robberies,
If we could just harness all the gas/hot air coming out of our elected bureaucrats, city/state agencies, we would not need to import any natural gas for decades.
Caldwell can do it all by his own hot air.
Good question, unanswered by HART for all this time. Not important, gotta get the columns up first. By the way, whatever happened to my favorite poster “Maneki_Neko”? Miss his intelligent insight and he was one of the first to address this issue. Hope all is well with him.
They will have to ask their customers to stop using a/c, tvs, washers, dryers, ranges, computers, and lights during rail operating times. Customers can resume using them between 12 midnight and 4 a.m.
I bet Caldwell builds his own power plant. Wait a minute, he already has H-power. Just stop all this recycling.
I believe they’ve budgeted 100 million to build a dedicated power plant just for the rail. My guess is it’ll cost triple what they say and take twice as long to build, just like everything else related to rail.
“…likely due to weather…” What, HECO cannot determine the problem or doesn’t want to admit it had to do with their antiquated system.
Stockholders come first.
After the CEO and other Executives.
After the CEO and executives.
HECO = Joke
you would think that they would protect these electrical resources from
bad weather because it happens every year. but no, they do nothing.
Just some lighting and HECO goes kaput. Wow, things are worse than expected. What happens when power goes out and you are on the vaunted rail.
I guess you are screwed and will be literally up in the air with nowhere to go.
wear a parachute when on the rail. then when the power goes out just jump down.
Life Ropes.
A third world power grid that charges the highest dollar in the country. Amazing what a lack of competition can do in America.
time to bring in Nextera
No way.
both companies are dildos. you just have to figure out which one is lined with Teflon and which one is lined with sandpaper. choose wisely.
Didn’t notice anything. I’m off the grid.
Just a small taste of what will befall us when a direct hit from a hurricane comes someday. I know the Mormons among us will more-or-less shrug it off, but your average Joe Blow? He’ll be lining up for ice, toilet paper, batteries, bottled water, pork & beans and gasoline like he always does.
I hope they can find it.
I live in Nuuanu. I’m glad they didn’t cut out our power. Nuuanu seems to be one of these areas turned off when they lose some power capacity. Of course, it didn’t make much difference since we lost Oceanic/TWC internet and cable service for most of the day. And neither HECO now Oceanic/TWC will ever give us an adjustment to our bills. Oceanic/TWC couldn’t at least offer us a free movie on demand.
It doesn’t take much “weather” to take down Heco’s system eh. I can’t imagine how bad it will be if we get some really bad “weather”. Heco has been too busy creating value for their shareholders and has ignored the antiquated grid system. Any capital improvements to their grid only comes with a surcharge on every electric bill. They need only continue to pay off the politicians, last year they gave the democrats 2 million thru their super pac. That’s why the PUC always finds in their favor.
Unions, Developers and Monopolies own the democrats in this state. When will the voters wake up and see what they’re doing to the state. It’s what you get when the same people control everything for 50 years in a row.
Glad they were able to find the electricity.
A small kine thunderstorm, Really ? This is what we get for our stupidly high electric bills ? Yet, it’s ok to pay management multiple millions of dollars while our infrastructure is garbage. Where is the PUC mandating some radical improvements an ‘absolutely no rate increases’ for the foreseeable future.