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COURTESY PHOTO
This 2006 file photo shows Hawaiian Electric Co.'s downtown power plant near Aloha Tower.
Hawaiian Electric Cos. will stop using the power plant near Aloha Tower next year, according to a 5-year plan the company filed with the state.
The plan also calls for converting all Hawaiian Electric customers on Oahu, Maui and the Big Island to smart meters by 2018, with an opt-out provision for those who don’t want it. Smart meters, among other things, allow customers to control household appliances remotely and alert the power company when there is an outage.
Hawaiian Electric filed the plan with the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission on Friday and needs approval from the PUC before proceeding with the plan.
The Honolulu power plant near Aloha Tower would not be dismantled immediately, but would be on “reserve status” and could be restarted in an emergency, said Peter Rosegg, a spokesman for the company.
