In late September, the House Energy & Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Oversight & Investigations held a hearing on the role of electric infrastructure in the wildfire that occurred in Lahaina on Maui on August 8. Hawaiian Electric President and CEO Shelee Kimura, along with Hawaii Public Utilities Commission Chair Leo Asuncion, and Hawai’i State Energy Office Chief Energy Officer Mark Glick, provided testimony and answered questions from the committee members, who had launched an investigation into the wildfire and each entities’ response.
This hearing was a significant step in initiating a broader, national conversation about what needs to be done to make electric companies, and the communities they serve, more resilient against increasing climate risk and extreme weather events. The growing threat created by wildfires is a problem that challenges not only Maui, but the nation and the world. The hearing raised questions about how electric companies, regulators, private property owners, and other stakeholders can take a holistic, collaborative approach to address these increasing risks.
The entire hearing ran around two hours, but this episode features key audio segments, including Shelee’s responses about Hawaiian Electric's application for a grid hardening project that had been pending with the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission since last year, Hawaiian Electric’s wildfire protocols, and the obstacles to undergrounding power lines. You can watch the entire hearing on the House Committee on Energy and Commerce's YouTube page: https://youtu.be/Jc2SIl6kiY4.
044 Electric Perspectives: Will the Recent SCOTUS Decision on West Virginia v. EPA Affect the Clean Energy Transition?
043 Electric Perspectives: Strengthening Supply Chain Resilience
042 Global Circuit: Achieving a Sustainable Energy Future
041 Electric Perspectives: Leading Infrastructure Development
040 Global Circuit: Planning for Resilience Amid Changing Expectations
039 Electric Perspectives: Preparing for Hurricane and Wildfire Season
038 Electric Perspectives: Focusing on Clean Energy This Earth Day – and Every Day
037 Electric Perspectives: What’s Next for the Carbon-Free Technology Initiative?
036 Electric Perspectives: Women in Leadership
035 Electric Perspectives: AES Corporation’s Robot Accelerates Solar Construction
034 Global Circuit: Utilizing Social Networks to Create Lasting Change
033 Electric Perspectives: Advancing DEI at Electric Companies
032 Electric Perspectives: Electric Power Industry Outlook 2022
031 Global Circuit: Harnessing Today’s Technology to Reach Tomorrow’s Energy Future
030 Electric Perspectives: Unlocking Hydrogen’s Potential
029 Electric Perspectives: Investing in a Resilient, Hardened Energy Grid
028 Electric Perspectives: Working Together to Bridge the Digital Divide
027 Global Circuit: Keeping Customers and Employees at the Heart of the Transition
026 Electric Perspectives: Electric Companies Form the National Electric Highway Coalition
025 Electric Perspectives: COP26: Demonstrating Clean Energy Leadership
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