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Hawaiian Electric is a public utility and as such is guaranteed certain rates set by the Public Utilities Commission in exchange for providing reliable, economical and safe electricity to the public. If the company spends obscene amounts on executive salaries but shirks its duties to the public, it should be held liable.
All the red areas in which HECO plans to enforce Public Safety Power Shutoff should be converted to underground wiring to eliminate that need. In the meantime, HECO should be required to provide free, reliable backup power during a shutoff to all who need it for medical purposes. Sufficient solar panels and backup batteries would be the best, and would increase grid reliability and reduce the need for rolling blackouts in other situations.
Bob Gould
Kaneohe
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