HECO working to make sure Hawaii isn’t next Puerto Rico

The destruction and ongoing misery caused by Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico, as well as the sluggish emergency response, is especially troubling to those of us who live on islands twice as far from the U.S. mainland as Puerto Rico.

Though the Central Pacific hurricane season has ended, Hawaiian Electric’s ongoing storm recovery planning hasn’t. We’re working with public agencies and other local companies to ensure that power would be restored as quickly as possible if a powerful hurricane swept across our islands.

Realistically, a direct hit on Oahu from a hurricane will cause damage and outages. Repairs could take days or weeks, depending on its strength and the scope of destruction.

But we’re in a better position than Puerto Rico for several key reasons:

>> Our energy infrastructure is stronger than Puerto Rico’s. It’s been reported that historically, Puerto Rico’s government-owned utility invested little in repairs and upgrades to its fragile utility infrastructure. On Oahu, Hawaiian Electric (HECO) has spent more than $1.5 billion over the past seven years to upgrade poles, lines and equipment, including the use of steel and concrete to replace transmission structures in Central Oahu and East Honolulu.

>> HECO has strong mutual assistance pacts with mainland utilities. Crews and equipment can be brought to Hawaii within days. We also communicate regularly with our mutual assistance group in advance of approaching storms. It took nearly six weeks for Puerto Rico’s utility to decide to ask for help from other utilities.

>> Our utilities’ parent company, HEI, is financially stable. Puerto Rico’s government-owned utility is bankrupt and billions of dollars in debt, leaving contractors reluctant to offer storm- recovery aid.

>> Oahu’s military presence ensures more rapid availability of personnel and equipment for recovery; the new Schofield Generating Station coming online in 2018 can provide power to a microgrid serving Schofield, Wheeler Army Air Field and critical Wahiawa community facilities.

>> More than 200 HECO staff members received FEMA training certification this year and participated in a two-day emergency drill that simulated a direct hurricane hit on Oahu.

Our company works year-round with the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency and the City and County in developing disaster plans and practicing responses. We have strong relationships with other utilities, shippers and contractors that would be crucial to recovery.

But Oahu has vulnerabilities. If hurricane-force winds knock down the transmission lines across the Koolau Range, communities from Aina Haina to Hawaii Kai and Waimanalo to Kahuku will be without power. The lines are an engineering marvel, but would be difficult to access and repair if damaged. There are options for reducing the risk, but all involve trade-offs.

Because most outages during storms are caused by trees falling on power lines, HECO has expanded tree-trimming operations, but areas remain susceptible to falling branches. Underground equipment can be flooded in storm surges, especially in low-lying areas like Waikiki.

And judging by Puerto Rico’s experience, wind turbines and solar panels are likely to be damaged by high winds, putting wind resources and many of Oahu’s 54,000 private rooftop solar systems out of commission.

The effects of climate change on our weather are undeniable. In 2015, 15 storms churned through the Central Pacific, sometimes one after another. None made a direct hit on Hawaii. We were lucky this year, too.

But counting on luck isn’t a strategy. That’s why our companies are working to modernize and strengthen our energy grids by investing in new technology that can reduce the number and duration of outages and make the grid more resilient.

We know there are choices we can make now that will better protect our communities in the future. Given what happened in Puerto Rico, we expect there to be more urgency in planning for the 2018 hurricane season and beyond, and we’re ready to do our part.

Ronald Cox is senior vice president of operations for the Hawaiian Electric Companies.