As drought grips more than 70% of Hawaiʻi, Hawaiian Electric is preparing emergency power shutoffs to prevent wildfires.

Spectrum News reported that the company is ramping up its Public Safety Power Shutoff plan. The goal is to lower fire risk on days when dry ground and strong wind make electrical infrastructure more hazardous than usual.

What's happening?

Hawaiian Electric rolled out the program after the 2023 Maui wildfires. It's a preventive measure to cut power in areas where dry and windy conditions can encourage the spread of fires.

Crews have replaced old wooden poles, upgraded copper lines, and switched out aging fuses and arrestors. They also plan to reinforce roughly 94 miles of power lines to better handle high heat and fire risk.

The company will cut power when certain conditions occur: winds over 45 mph, relative humidity below 45%, and ongoing drought. To help residents prepare, there's a 24- to 48-hour notice before any possible shutoff happens. 

Why is this concerning?

NASA has linked longer heat events that increase heat stress and strain water supplies to rising global temperatures.

Vegetation is drying out faster, pushing fire seasons earlier and making blazes harder to contain, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Scientists agree this shift is driven by human-caused pollution, which amplifies extreme weather.

Drought isn't a rare occurrence. Costa Rica's energy supply is under pressure because the country uses drought-impacted hydro plants, and flash droughts in at least 15 U.S. states have disrupted farming and local water access.

All point to the same issue: Aging infrastructure is struggling to keep up with the faster onset of drought conditions. 

What's being done about it?

Utilities are shifting to residential microgrids for reinforcement so parts of the grid remain active even during major outages.

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