Commissioner Yost Briefs Rotary Club Members on Utility Resilience and Renewable Energy Progress

Commissioner Colin Yost spoke to Members of the Rotary Club of Honolulu on Sept. 22 at the Pacific Club, providing an overview of the Hawaiʻi Public Utilities Commission's regulatory mission to support safe, reliable and affordable utility services as Hawaiʻi advances toward its 100-percent renewable energy future.

Yost explained the PUC's structure, mission and decision-making processes and described how the Commission oversees essential services such as electricity, water, wastewater and transportation. He outlined priority areas for the coming year, including improving reliability, resilience and affordability in the electricity sector, supporting stability for smaller water and wastewater systems and ensuring utilities meet new requirements to file Natural Hazard Mitigation Reports and Wildfire Mitigation Plans.

He also discussed wildfire mitigation, disaster preparedness and how regulated utilities can more effectively recover after major storms. During a wide-ranging question-and-answer session, attendees asked about topics such as Hawaiian Electric's reliability and affordability, access to electric vehicle charging, progress toward the state's 2045 renewable energy goals and current issues involving Young Brothers' service. Yost noted that Hawaiʻi's transition to 100-percent renewable energy remains achievable through steady implementation and coordination among utilities, state agencies and community stakeholders.

"Learning directly from our island communities is always helpful, and the service-dedicated members of the Rotary Club of Honolulu shared valuable insights and concerns about the most challenging issues facing the PUC. I'm grateful they invited me to join their meeting," Yost said.

About 50 people participated in the event in-person and online.