https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/2023/09/13/heco-may-turn-ratepayers-help-cover-fire-rebuilding-costs/

Hawaiian Electric may be asking customers to pay for damage and recovery from the Maui wildfires — even though many say HECO is to blame.

Whether that will happen could depend on whether the company’s neglect or negligence contributed to the destruction.

Hawaiian Electric, including its Maui subsidiary, is regulated by the Public Utilities Commission, which decides what customers will pay for power. Now the pressure is building on PUC to investigate HECO’s responsibility before and during the fires.

Multiple lawsuits have been filed, including one by Maui County, accusing HECO of sparking the fire after failing to take steps to harden the grid against catastrophic wind events

I would think HECO would have millions in insurance coverage.  And, if they are found to have been negligent, then their liability coverage would kick in.

Also, there are all kinds of federal monies and loans for natural disaster relief.

This is nothing but an opportunity for HECO to use a crisis to justify another rate hike they otherwise could not get approved.

aww crap again
https://www.kitv.com/news/local/another-lawsuit-being-filed-against-heco-this-time-by-its-own-employees/article_8038f9e2-525f-11ee-99e3-0bb6dced1ee0.html

aww crap again
https://www.kitv.com/news/local/another-lawsuit-being-filed-against-heco-this-time-by-its-own-employees/article_8038f9e2-525f-11ee-99e3-0bb6dced1ee0.html

Another lawsuit being filed against HECO,
this time, by its own employees

Hmmm....

I don't think "employees" is accurate, but i'm sure some would argue "it's technically not wrong." 

"Employees" to me invokes an impression of regular workers.

This recent litigation is being pursued by individuals who have served or currently serve on
Hawaiian Electric's Board of Directors.

According to the new lawsuit, during the years 2019 to 2022, HECO purportedly allocated
less than $245,000 towards wildfire prevention efforts. HECO stands accused of diverting
these funds towards achieving a 100% renewable energy objective instead.

Too bad there isn't another company people could buy from?  Guess another benefit for having a monopoly.

Too bad there isn't another company people could buy from?  Guess another benefit for having a monopoly.

The Hawaii PUC is supposed to provide oversight for this kind of stuff. 

HECO can't raise their rates like they are trying to do now unless the PUC authorizes it. 

Any shady behavior, and the PUC can lower the boom by assessing fines, creating new rules the utility must follow, etc.

I worked on a program the PUC managed and funded.  They are the watchdogs for the consumers, and they have denied rate hikes more often than not.

So, while there are no market influences on HECO, there are regulatory ones.

It is all Biden's fault.

It is all Biden's fault.

You forget green energy will stop wild fires. We have to cut down all the trees to make fields of solar panels. That will get rid of all the green house gasses that cars produce. Of course without the trees to take take the carbon dioxide out of the air, there will be more greenhouse gases.