Hawaii Electric Light Co. said Wednesday morning service was restored Tuesday to approximately 1,500 customers.
Hawaii Electric Light Co. said Wednesday morning service was restored Tuesday to approximately 1,500 customers.
Crews continue to make progress on restoring power in the Puna District, according to a written HELCO statement. Power has been restored in Hamakua, Ainaloa, Orchidland Estates, and portions of Upper Puna, Hawaiian Beaches and Hawaiian Paradise Park.
Currently, an estimated 6,600 customers are without power. This estimate includes outages discovered but not previously reported by work crews.
Approximately 200 workers have mobilized to work in the field on restoring power, including 22 electrical line crews, 14 tree trimming crews, and 25 construction crews contracted to dig holes for utility poles. An additional 40 crew members will be arriving, including crews from Maui Electric, Kaua‘i Island Utility Cooperative, and contracted companies.
“With all of the additional help we’ve received, our crews are making steady progress and also identifying new problems we need to address. Our customers are also helping by serving as our eyes on the ground. We thank them for their patience and understanding. This really is a collective effort by our entire community to recover from this storm,” said HELCO spokesman Darren Pai.
Pai has said some customers without power could be out of service for three weeks or more, but didn’t say where those areas are.
Today, electrical line crews expect to make progress in the following areas: Leilani Estates, Hawaiian Beaches, Hawaiian Paradise Park, and portions of Upper Puna. Crews also hope to make progress along the highway from Pahoa to Kalapana.
HELCO continues to operate a customer information center at the Hawaiian Shores Community Center in Hawaiian Beaches daily between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. In addition to information, customers may bring in electronic devices for charging.