On Earth Day, rooftop solar program grants awarded

• By Andrew Gomes
• April 23, 2024

A state loan program helping Hawaii households acquire rooftop solar and energy storage systems that lower their electric bills is being pumped up for a second year in a row. Read more

‘Gut and replace’ bill deals with emergency Maui recovery funding

• By Andrew Gomes
• April 22, 2024

The new version of the bill hasn’t had the constitutionally required three readings each in the Senate and House of Representatives on a similar subject matter. Read more

Big ask for FEMA homes for Maui fire survivors meets resistance

• By Andrew Gomes
• April 21, 2024

A state and county objective to produce temporary new homes for Maui wildfire survivors is being hampered by the federal government. Read more

Hawaii utilities focus on reducing wildfire risks

• By Andrew Gomes
• April 19, 2024

Hawaii’s two regulated electrical utilities told a pair of state Senate committees Thursday that they are trying to do as much as possible as fast as possible with wildfire risk mitigation. Read more

Hawaiian Electric troubleshoots power issues on Oahu, Big Isle

• By Andrew Gomes
• April 16, 2024

Hawaiian Electric fully restored power to customers in East Honolulu on Monday, but not before four public schools had been closed for the day and many customers faced water supply issues. Read more

Macadamia nut labeling legislation in limbo

• By Andrew Gomes
• April 15, 2024

Consumers don’t know whether many macadamia nut snacks identified with Hawaii contain any Hawaii-­grown macadamia nuts, and an effort to change that through state law may be doomed this year. Read more

Surf’s up … but maybe not for Hawaii’s public schools

• By Andrew Gomes
• April 14, 2024

State lawmakers are considering a bill to promote and support surfing as an interscholastic sport, but only with minuscule funding after the same bill was deemed unnecessary last year. Read more

Hawaii lawmakers aim to avert ‘early’ DHHL funding lapse

• By Andrew Gomes
• April 11, 2024

The state Department of Hawaiian Home Lands appears set to receive extra time to use $600 million appropriated by the Legislature in 2022. Read more

Hawaii lawmakers push electric utilities to reduce wildfire risks

• By Andrew Gomes
• April 10, 2024

The state Legislature appears poised to create a new way for Hawaii electric utilities to pay for wildfire risk mitigation that reduces the cost possibly passed onto ratepayers in an effort to help prevent another tragic fire in the state. Read more

Big power supply problems continue to plague Hawaii island

• By Andrew Gomes
• April 7, 2024

Hawaiian Electric contends that it faces an “extremely tight” supply of power at peak use periods, especially when production from wind, solar and hydroelectric facilities is lower than normal. Read more

Push for more homes on smaller lots statewide suffers setback

• By Andrew Gomes
• April 3, 2024

Three state House committees have eviscerated a bill to increase single-family housing densities statewide after receiving much more negative than positive testimony. Read more

State acquires former hotel to house Maui fire survivors

• By Andrew Gomes
• April 2, 2024

Between 350 and 450 Maui wildfire survivors in early May should begin moving into a former hotel in Kihei now owned by the state. Read more

Flow of affordable-housing funding faces redirection

• By Andrew Gomes
• April 1, 2024

A state agency that helps finance affordable-housing development in Hawaii faces having its funding award criteria dictated by the Legislature to favor state and county projects. Read more

Big rent-to-own housing push by Home Lands agency praised, pilloried

• By Andrew Gomes
• March 31, 2024

At least 500, and maybe more than 1,100, rental homes are part of the agency’s goal to deliver roughly 6,000 homesteads for beneficiaries over the next several years. Read more

Rosier state budget picture projected by Gov. Green

• By Andrew Gomes
• March 28, 2024

Gov. Josh Green reassured the public and Hawaii’s Legislature on Wednesday that Maui wildfire response and recovery expenses shouldn’t overwhelm state finances. Read more

Haruki departing BOE; ex-lawmaker to assume post

• By Andrew Gomes
• March 27, 2024

The state Board of Education has a second appointed new leader in less than a year. Read more

State senators target Hawaii’s energy policy agency

• By Andrew Gomes
• March 24, 2024

Senate Bill 3282 comes four years after the Legislature reorganized the agency to improve its focus in part by converting it from a DBEDT division to an agency with a Cabinet-level director. Read more

Bills propose more housing on smaller lots

• By Andrew Gomes
• March 22, 2024

Single-family neighborhoods in Hawaii could become much more dense under two heavily debated bills pending at the state Legislature. Read more

Designer is commissioned to convert state Capitol pools to waterless feature

• By Andrew Gomes
• March 22, 2024

The long-troublesome reflecting pools at the state Capitol will be permanently dried up and converted to an artistic landscape with elements resembling water from around Hawaii designed by Native Hawaiian artist Solomon Enos. Read more

10 intersections are new focus for ticket camera bill

• By Andrew Gomes
• March 20, 2024

Pending legislation aimed at ticketing speeding Hawaii drivers using automated cameras took another sharp turn Tuesday, with proposed use redirected to 10 Honolulu intersections where cameras already cite red-light runners. Read more

Former Hawaii Public Safety Director Ted Sakai dies at 77

• By Andrew Gomes
• March 18, 2024

Ted Sakai led the state Department of Public Safety from 1998 to 2002 and from 2012 to 2014. Read more