Public Utilities Commission approves Hawaiian Electric wildfire mitigation plan

Hawaiʻi Public Utilities Commission on Wednesday (Dec. 31) approved Hawaiian Electric’s 2025-27 wildfire mitigation plan and completed a comprehensive study about whether to establish a wildfire recovery fund.

The commission said the approval is a major step toward improving public safety and resilience of Hawaiʻi’s electric grid. These actions together 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, commissioners continue to prioritize the safety, stability and long-term well-being of Hawaiʻi’s communities.

Hawaiian Electric’s wildfire mitigation plan outlines a range of measures to reduce the risk of utility-related wildfires throughout 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.
• Public safety power shutoff protocols.

The commission used a comprehensive review process to review the plan that included public meetings, technical conferences, stakeholder participation and opportunities for community input.

Commissioners found in approving Hawaiian Electric’s wildfire mitigation plan that the utility substantially complied with the commission’s wildfire mitigation guidelines and 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 deadly Aug. 8, 2023, Maui wildfires, which caused catastrophic loss of life and property.

However, commissioners stated that they expect the utility to strengthen and refine its strategies to improve effectiveness, transparency and accountability.

Several areas were identified that require improvement, and the commission provided instructions to guide Hawaiian Electric’s 2026–27 wildfire mitigation plan update and its next wildfire mitigation plan covering 2028-29.

Areas requiring improvement include:

• Wildfire risk modeling.
• Timelines and targets for mitigation activities.
• Workforce planning for post-wildfire restoration.
• Support for vulnerable populations and critical facilities.
• Monitoring and auditing of mitigation efforts.

Act 258 — passed by state lawmakers during the 2025 legislative session and later signed by Hawai‘i Gov. Josh Green — also requires 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.

Commissioners 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.

Approval of a wildfire mitigation plan and completion of the wildfire recovery fund study represent distinct but aligned steps toward that goal.

The full wildfire mitigation plan decision and order as well as the Wildfire Recovery Fund Study are available on the Public Utilities Commission website.