The union that represents nearly half of all Hawaiian Electric Industries workers favors the sale of the company to Florida-based NextEra Energy Inc.

"It’s going to be good for the communities in the state of Hawaii. It’s going to be good for the membership. It’s good for the company as a whole," said Brian Ahakuelo, business manager for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 1260.

The union members include 1,400 employees at Hawaiian Electric Co. on Oahu, Maui Electric Co. and the Hawai’i Electric Light Co. on the Big Island. Through those three companies Hawaiian Electric serves 95 percent of Hawaii’s population.

The utility industry is changing, Ahakuelo said.

"We have to accept the change, embrace it, and then move forward," he said. At the same time, "It’s my job to protect my members, and that’s what I intend on doing."

"Local 1260 prides itself in great relationships with our signatories, and we’ve always had great relationships with our utility firms," he said.

HEI and NextEra said there would be no reduction in force for two years after the sale closes, which will take a year.

NextEra CEO Jim Robo was asked at a news conference in Honolulu whether there could be layoffs after the two years.

"Two years is three years from now (given that it will take one year to close the sale) and a lot of things can happen in three years," Robo said.

The union employees are working under a contract that does not expire until Oct. 31, 2018, Ahakuelo said.

That NextEra is based so far away from island culture is not a stumbling block, he said.

"I think there’s a lot that we can learn from the new company, and I think the new company can learn about Hawaii," Ahakuelo said. "I think it’s going to be very crucial for both parties to go in with open arms, and I truly believe we will be doing that."

Ahakuelo said he has a meeting with HECO and NextEra executives scheduled for Thursday morning.

"As long as we’re partnering, working together … I think we’re in a good situation and it will work out well."

The purchase was also welcomed by Maui County Mayor Alan Arakawa.

"Hopefully NextEra is willing to take on the challenges that prevented HEI from accepting more renewable power, namely, upgrading its aging infrastructure," Arakawa said in a statement.

"Some of their generators are from the World War II era. That has to change if we’re ever going to use more renewables. People aren’t just power users anymore; anyone with solar panels is now a power producer and our utility needs to be able to evolve as our community evolves."

Maui County Energy Commissioner Doug McLeod noted that NextEra displayed a willingness to meet with the environmental community about a proposed undersea cable between Maui and Oahu to answer questions about whether the project would affect Hawaii’s whale population.

"They co-sponsored that cable event with Maui Tomorrow. Not every utility would have done that," McLeod said. "Also on the mainland they are known as one of the largest owner and operators of wind farms. Their approach seems to be more progressive than what we have seen from Hawaiian Electric in the past."