Residents once again asked to conserve power this evening
Hawaiian Electric again asks Big Island residents to conserve power this evening to make up for an energy shortfall.
Hamakua Energy Partners LLC is the Big Island’s largest independent power producer, generating 60 megawatts of power, and is currently shut down for an indefinite period of time.
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In order to ensure the power grid has sufficient energy during peak evening demand, residents are urged to limit their electricity use this evening between 5 p.m. and 9 p.m.
By reducing power draw on the grid, customers can avoid the need for Hawaiian Electric to conduct rolling 30-minute outages to maintain the grid. Conservation efforts on Monday were sufficient to prevent the need for rolling blackouts.
“We’re all in this together,” said Kristen Okinaka, Hawaiian Electric spokesperson, in a statement. “The best way to avoid the inconvenience of a brief outage is to minimize the use of appliances, especially air conditioning and anything that generates heat. Consider shutting off your water heater for a few hours — the water will still be hot later. Every bit you conserve is a big help.”
Hawaiian Electric’s larger commercial customers have been asked to reduce electricity use as well, although residents are also asked to continue to patronize businesses during this time.
If rolling blackouts are necessary, Hawaiian Electric will notify customers in advance through social media at @HIElectricLight on Twitter.
