The state Public Utilities Commission, acting at the request of Gov. David Ige, has met with the Hawaiian Electric Cos. and the nonprofit Hawai‘i Energy to develop a series of rapid-response actions to address the loss of renewable generation from the Puna Geothermal Venture power plant due to the lava flow on Hawaii island.

The PGV power plant provided 38 megawatts of firm, dispatchable renewable energy, representing about one-quarter of the island’s energy supply, and more than half of the island’s renewable energy generation. In the near term, electricity formerly provided by PGV will be generated mostly by burning fossil fuels, increasing air pollution and raising electricity prices for customers.

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ON THE MOVE

First Hawaiian Bank has announced the following promotions:

>> Stefanie Higa is now vice president as well as compliance officer for FHB’s Trust Compliance Division. She started her banking career in 1985 and worked for various local financial institutions. Higa then joined FHB when it merged with Pioneer Federal in 1996.

>> Terry Katagiri is now vice president of Japan business development at FHB. He has 20 years of international business development experience, including as president for several Japanese companies in California and Honolulu. Katagiri joined FHB in 2016 and first served as an assistant vice president.

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