HEI - Hawaiian Electric Industries Inc.

09/27/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 09/27/2026 19:10

2:30 p.m. update: Public Safety Power Shutoff activated in Pukalani, Maui

2:30 p.m. update: Public Safety Power Shutoff activated in Pukalani, Maui

West Maui customers asked to prepare for overnight outage due to hazardous conditions

Release Date: 9/27/2026

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HONOLULU, Sept. 27, 2026 - Due to the immediate threat of wildfires from high winds and dry conditions, Hawaiian Electric has activated its Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) program and proactively shut off power in the Pukalani, Maui area with high exposure to wildfire risk.

"We sincerely apologize for the disruption. We have activated our PSPS program as a last line of defense to protect lives and reduce the risk of a wildfire. We will continue to monitor conditions closely and restore power as soon as we can safely do so," said Jim Alberts, Hawaiian Electric, Executive Incident Commander.

Hawaiian Electric crews continue to inspect damages and make repairs from Hurricane Nolo across its service territories. The company is asking West Maui customers who are currently without power to prepare for an overnight outage. Crews are completing inspections and making repairs in areas where work can be performed safely. The earliest that power can be restored is estimated to be noon tomorrow, Sept. 28.

As of 2 p.m. today:

  • Maui County: About 11,350 customers remain without power in West Maui, Haiku and Upcountry. The majority of the outages are in West Maui with about 10,000 impacted customers. These outages were not a PSPS. An additional 485 customers in the Pukalani area are affected by a PSPS outage.
    • West Maui: Crews are inspecting transmission lines and repairing circuits that serve West Maui. Repairs are underway on local distribution lines and other areas where work can be done safely. Some areas of the transmission lines are not accessible by foot or drone and must be inspected by helicopter. Hazardous wind speeds over 60 mph are preventing any aircraft from flying in the area to complete damage assessments of transmission lines along the ridge area above the Papalaua Wayside Park. Initial damage assessments in other areas have not found significant system damages. Ongoing wildfire prevention efforts require transmission lines to be fully inspected first before power can be safely restored and this could delay restoration.
    • Upcountry Maui: Damage assessments and repairs began after trees were cleared from roads and power lines. Majority of customers in the Upcountry and Haiku are estimated to be restored later this evening. Pukalani customers experiencing the PSPS outage are urged to implement their own emergency plans and prepare for the possibility of extended power outages.
  • Oahu: About 830 customers are without power in the Kahuku area. Power to most customers is expected to be restored by the end of today.
  • Hawaii Island: About 700 customers are without power, mostly in the Kau and Hamakua areas. Power to most customers is expected to be restored by the end of today.

If necessary, Hawaiian Electric may still implement a PSPS and proactively turn off power in other communities with high exposure to wildfire risk. Customers in these areas are urged to initiate their own emergency plans and prepare for the possibility of extended power outages.

Areas most at risk of a PSPS are Central and West Maui, and Mauna Lani and Waikoloa on Hawaii Island, and in West Oahu. However, weather conditions may change rapidly and all customers in PSPS areas should prepare for extended outages. Even if high winds are not present in certain neighborhoods, a PSPS may be triggered if PSPS conditions are present on another part of the circuit. Sixteen teams of spotters have been deployed on Hawaii Island, Maui and Oahu to provide situational awareness and provide reports in high-risk areas.

To determine if a PSPS is necessary for public safety, three criteria must be met concurrently: persistent drought conditions, wind gusts 45 mph and higher, and relative humidity below 45%. With Hurricane Nolo moving further away from the state, taking rainfall with it, drier air is moving in while the pressure gradient remains high. Wind gusts also tend to dry out vegetation, which increases the risk for wildfire.

Outages that are not related to the company's PSPS program could still occur due to high winds and other conditions. Customers can find outage updates, safety information and reporting options at hawaiianelectric.com or through the company's trouble lines:

For more information and maps of areas that have high wildfire risk, go to hawaiianelectric.com/PSPS or call Hawaiian Electric's PSPS toll-free hotline at 1-844-483-8666.

How to stay informed

Hawaiian Electric will provide updates frequently through the news media and the following mobile-friendly resources:

HEI - Hawaiian Electric Industries Inc. published this content on September 27, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on September 28, 2026 at 01:10 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]