Hawaiian Electric completes repairs to key transmission line damaged in February storm

Hawaiian Electric completes repairs to key transmission line damaged in February storm

Crews working on narrow Koolau ridgeline high above ground complete 'one of the hardest jobs of their careers'

Release Date: 4/30/2026

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HONOLULU, April 30, 2026 - Hawaiian Electric crews recently completed repairs to a key 138 kilovolt (kV) transmission line that carries electricity from Leeward Oahu to Windward Oahu, Waimanalo and East Honolulu.

A steel structure that holds the line atop a narrow ridge of the Koolau Range above Moanalua Valley had been heavily damaged during a storm on Feb. 8. With these repairs complete, the island's 138kV transmission system has been completely restored to its normal operating condition with three high-voltage lines carrying power over the range.

The remote location and limited workspace across the ridgeline created significant challenges for repair crews. With no roads to drive to the work site hundreds of feet above the ground, a specialized heavy-lift helicopter was required to lift equipment, supplies and crews to the top of the ridge. Crews first needed to build a small path and rope line to safely reach the area where the structures were set. Once the damaged equipment was removed by helicopter, the crew worked with hand tools, shovels and picks to dig holes for the heavy-duty wood poles that will temporarily replace the steel structures. Repair work to the damaged structure was interrupted by the successive Kona Low storms that struck in March.

"Our crew leaders say this was one of the hardest jobs of their careers. Our guys have been working on this since February when it first went down, and even after dealing with a couple of major storms that pushed them physically, they came right back to finish the job," said Jason Cosma, Hawaiian Electric superintendent of transmission and distribution operations.

The 138kV transmission system is critical to the island's electric grid. Just as major freeways move traffic and feed into roads and surface streets, the transmission system carries power from generating stations and connects to smaller lines that serve communities across the island. This transmission line is one of three that deliver power to Windward Oahu, East Honolulu, Waimanalo. It also crosses back over the Koolau mountains to serve Hawaii Kai and portions of East Honolulu. These multiple lines are designed to back each other up, so power can still flow when something goes wrong with one or two of the lines.