October'25
On October 23, 2025, Representative Joe Gedeon hosted the inaugural session of his "Let’s Talk Story" sessions.
Hawaiian Electric Power Infrastructure and Community Talk Story
The very first Let's Talk Story session featured Jim Kelly, Hawaiian Electric’s (HECO) Vice President of Community and Government Relations. This community forum, held in Hawaii Kai, provided residents with a direct line to discuss local utility infrastructure, wildfire safety, and the future of energy in Hawaii.
Local Infrastructure and Maintenance
Jim Kelly highlighted ongoing work in Hawaii Kai, including pole replacements and underground equipment upgrades expected to continue into 2026. He explained that while Hawaii Kai benefits aesthetically from underground utilities, much of the infrastructure dates back to the 1960s–80s and consists of "direct buried" cables. This makes identifying and repairing outages more time-consuming compared to overhead lines, as crews must manually test "hand holes" to track faults.
Wildfire Mitigation and Safety Efforts
In the wake of the 2023 Lahaina tragedy, HECO has fundamentally shifted its maintenance priorities toward wildfire prevention. Key safety initiatives discussed include:
Vegetation Management: HECO is aggressively clearing brittle Albizia trees from transmission corridors along the Ko‘olau ridges that feed Hawaii Kai.
Grid Hardening: The company is installing "covered conductors" (insulated wiring) and "sparkless fuses" to prevent falling lines or equipment failures from igniting dry brush.
Ai Smoke Detection: Hawaii has deployed 180 Ai-powered cameras across five islands that can automatically detect smoke and alert fire departments.
The Future of Hawaii’s Energy
The session addressed the state’s mandate to reach 100% renewable energy by 2045. Significant points of discussion included:
LNG as a "Bridge Fuel": There is a renewed discussion regarding Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) as a cleaner, more stable-priced alternative to diesel while the state transitions to renewables. However, Kelly noted this would require a "durable public policy" that spans multiple administrations.
New Technologies: While HECO is open to Small Modular Reactors (SMRs/nuclear) and offshore wind, Kelly emphasized the immediate need for commercially available, time-tested technologies like solar and battery storage to meet current demand.
Grid Resilience: With the rise of electric vehicles and development in areas like Camilo Nui Valley, HECO is planning for a system that can handle potentially twice the current load demand.
Community Concerns and Equity
Residents raised several critical questions regarding utility management:
Settlement Funding: Kelly explicitly stated that no customer money is being used for the $2 billion Lahaina settlement; these costs are covered entirely by shareholders of Hawaiian Electric Industries.
Workforce Challenges: HECO is facing a shortage of experienced linemen, many of whom are being recruited to California by utilities offering massive signing bonuses and housing stipends.
Solar Equity: The conversation touched on the "equity issue" of older net-metering programs, noting that fixed grid maintenance costs are increasingly shifted to customers without rooftop solar.
Representative Gedeon closed the event by inviting residents to suggest future topics, such as emergency preparedness with HI-EMA or the impacts of Ai.
