NextEra Energy Inc. and Hawaiian Electric Industries will host the first of 13 public meetings to discuss the $4.3 billion sale of HEI to the Florida-based company Tuesday at the Maui Electric Auditorium from 5 to 8 p.m.

At the meetings, senior leaders and other employees from NextEra Energy and Hawaiian Electric will be available to talk about NextEra Energy’s company history and the expected benefits for electrical customers from its purchase of Hawaiian Electric Co.

Nearly 20 NextEra representatives from areas such as environmental, emergency preparedness, external affairs, power generation and customer service will also be available to talk about the company.

"We wanted to ensure a nice cross section so that we could address any range of questions that might arise during the open houses," said Rob Gould, NextEra spokes­man. "We feel very strongly that these two weeks pre­sent a wonderful opportunity for us to hear firsthand from the community and to receive their input directly." 

The companies announced the sale in December, saying NextEra will help Hawaii reach its renewable-energy goals at a faster pace and reduce customer bills.

The deal still needs to be approved by the Public Utilities Commission. The PUC review is expected to be complete within 18 months of the announcement.