Hawaiian Electric Co. expects to have Ala Moana Center restored to its normal electrical configuration when stores open on the day after Christmas tomorrow — one of the most critical shopping days for retailers.

Automatic backups will be in place to prevent further blackouts like those that left several stores at the mall without power last week.

“People can expect that the shopping center will be fully powered,” said HECO spokesman Darren Pai. 

Short circuits blacked out several stores at the center four times last week after a fire destroyed a Makaloa Street transformer that provides power to parts of the shopping center.

Repair crews worked yesterday to test the new transformer installed on Makaloa Street on Friday.

Pai said last night that the testing was done and a last bit of switching to the new transformer was scheduled to be done overnight in coordination with maintenance at the shopping center.