HECO Power Crisis: Residents Brace for Rolling Outages Amid Generation Shortfall
Hawaiian Electric Company (HECO) is warning Oahu residents that rolling blackouts might happen tonight. They should reduce their electrical use. Late in the afternoon. HECO announced the possibility of 30-minute power outages throughout the island beginning at 5:30 p.m. The necessity for such precautions stemmed from the absence of “reserve generation capacity” caused by two power-generating units being offline.
The anticipated schedule for the rolling outages is as follows:
5:30 to 6:00 p.m.: Pearl City – Waimalu
6:00 to 6:30 p.m.: Majority of Leeward Oahu
6:30 to 7:00 p.m.: Kalihi, Keolu, Kohakapu, Kailua, Waimanalo to Kahala
7:30 to 8:00 p.m.: Nuuanu and School Street area
8:00 to 8:30 p.m.: Hawaii Kai and Waimanalo
HECO reports that two large producing units at the Waiau Power Plant went offline early in the day. Although inspections and repairs are still underway, it is not anticipated that these units will be back up by evening. The island’s bad weather, which is characterized by a lot of rain and cloud cover, has decreased the output of solar energy systems. Battery energy storage devices are not charging to their full potential.
One way that homeowners and businesses may contribute to energy conservation is to postpone high-use jobs like dishwashing, air conditioning, and laundry between the hours of 5 and 9 p.m. Large commercial customers have also been requested to participate in conserving power.
Should there be insufficient power to meet demand, HECO will initiate “load shedding,” systematically disconnecting customers in different areas across the island. These targeted emergency outages are deemed necessary to prevent widespread outages or damage to the power system due to an imbalance of power supply and demand.
Jim Kelly, Vice President of Government, Community Relations, and Corporate Communications for Hawaiian Electric, expressed apologies for the need to implement these extraordinary measures, appreciating the patience of everyone affected. He emphasized the urgency of customer awareness to plan for these brief outages and contribute to energy conservation during this critical time. In an island setting, with no external support, the utility is taking proactive steps to address the potential generation shortfall.
