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In the wake of the recent wildfires that swept through Lahaina and Kula, we are reminded of the urgent need to bolster our efforts towards climate resilience and disaster mitigation.

These wildfires have not only devastated the West Maui landscape but have also underscored the importance of preparing for the impacts of climate change that appear to already be with us.

At the same time, we face the realities of our state’s historic land use shift from plantation-era irrigated agriculture to fallow land overgrown by invasive grasses (such as guinea and fountain grass, to name a few).

Our shared commitment to these critical matters must remain resolute as we address the intersections of energy infrastructure, climate resilience, energy equity, and disaster preparedness.

Over the next several years, there will be many discussions at all levels of society about how to restore and honor Lahaina and its place as a living monument to the rich history and now traumatic loss that has taken place.

In collaboration with the Maui community, government and other stakeholders, we must actively engage in discussions and actions that highlight the potential of modern energy, water, transportation and agricultural technologies, amongst others, that can serve multiple purposes to support the people’s needs.

Such conversations require all sorts of ideas to come forth for evaluation and analysis. Such ideas may include the use of solar panel farms to act as a firebreaks on fallow land while also providing renewable energy to the community. In some cases, solar farms can also grow food crops in between solar panel rows, even further mitigating against drought and maximizing the land’s support for community needs.

This and other ideas can be included as part of a community-driven restoration plan that aims to explore innovative strategies that utilize clean energy solutions as a means to mitigate wildfire risks while simultaneously advancing our collective renewable energy goals.

Mitigating Disasters

In addition, evaluating modern energy infrastructure technologies and approaches is essential to help mitigate future disasters not only from wildfires but also potential hurricanes, flooding and tsunamis.

Hawaiian Electric had already begun energy infrastructure resilience planning prior to the wildfires, most recently in the form of an application for regulatory approval of its Climate Adaption Program, which identified wildfire mitigation as one of the priority areas for investment.

Mitigation measures identified in the application include:

• deploying intelligent switches to minimize sparks caused by electrical line contact;
• proactively upgrading utility poles and hardware to prevent failures and address clearance issues with overhead conductors;
• strategic lateral undergrounding of transmission lines in areas with a high density of vegetation;
• installing weather stations to monitor wind speed and relative humidity; and
• installing video cameras in strategic locations to help dispatchers respond to fires and provide authorities with information about wildfire situations.

Ulupono Initiative, along with Life of the Land and the Hawaii Consumer Advocate, were involved in Hawaiian Electric’s Climate Adaptation Program application docket, and Ulupono recommended the approval of the application in order to facilitate much needed investments and improvements to the utility’s grid.

We recognize and commend the consideration of these worthy investments were already underway and making progress. Although this work did not conclude in time to mitigate the disaster on Maui, these efforts provide hope that these smart investments will be made.

Also prior to the disaster on Maui, Hawaiian Electric had submitted an application to the U.S. Department of Energy, requesting $95 million in Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act funding to offset the customer impact of its Climate Adaption Program.

This year, on Aug. 29, Hawaiian Electric was notified that it had received approval for its IIJA funding request, which will provide federal matching funds for approximately 50% of the cost for the program, subject to Public Utilities Commission approval.

The wildfire mitigation efforts included in Hawaiian Electric’s application inherently address broader climate-related risks. As we face the heightened threats of hurricanes and wildfires due to the amplified impacts of climate change, it is evident that the measures we take today will serve dual purposes in safeguarding our energy systems and protecting our communities.

The recent wildfires have been a tragic reminder of our vulnerability. Rebuilding Lahaina will take time and require a community-driven approach.

As attention shifts from response to recovery, the recent disaster — and the risk of future ones — demands urgency around the acceleration of funding and regulatory processes already in motion to strengthen the resilience of our power grid.