Hawaiian Electric

Storm season is fast approaching, so now is the time to prepare! On Saturday, May 2, 2026, our employees joined many other community partners and agencies at the Windward Coast Emergency Preparedness Fair!    The event was held at Windward Mall on Oahu, and our community relations team shared important storm readiness tips and resources, along with information about electrical safety and our Wildfire Safety Strategy. Our booth also included a fun activity while giving away prizes, like our mini waterproof go-bags!   Mahalo to all attendees, and to our fellow organizations and agencies, for coming together to keep our community safe.    Be sure you are ready for hurricane season! Learn more about how you and your ohana can prepare at: https://lnkd.in/g4tA4BBa. 

Let's get to know Ryan Young, a third-generation control operator at Waiau Power Plant on Oahu!    As a control operator at Waiau five and six, Ryan is one of the many employees working behind the scenes, at all hours of the day, to keep the lights on. In his role, Ryan monitors equipment, responds to changes, including emergencies, and makes sure that everything is running smoothly. He also adapts to new technology and power plant developments as our company moves towards the state's goal of 100% renewable energy by 2045.    A huge thank you to Ryan, and our power plant operators, for working 24/7, 365 days a year to provide electricity to our communities! 

When you join the Hawaiian Electric ohana, it's not just you, it's your family too. With the end of school approaching, we see another group of employees' children graduate from high school, or college, and move on to create their own paths in life! In a new blog post, Shannon Tangonan, one of our senior communications specialists on Oahu, reflects on how her son, Jake, and many other children of our employees, have grown up with our company, volunteering at events. Teri Theuriet, our internal communications manager on Oahu, also has twins, Sachie and Josh, who grew up with the company alongside Jake, participating in charity walks, beach cleanups, clean energy fairs, parades, and more. "Community service has been part of our kids’ upbringing as they’ve grown up with Hawaiian Electric." writes Shannon. "Sure, they need to do a certain number of hours of community service for school. But over the years they’ve learned that volunteerism at Hawaiian Electric is not required — it’s simply our kuleana, or responsibility." Jake, Sachie, and Josh are graduating high school this year, heading off to different universities across the country, and many other children in our Hawaiian Electric ohana will be doing the same! Congratulations to all of the graduates of the Class of 2026! We look forward to hearing about what you do next! Read the full blog at: hwnelec.co/b24M50Z1QBr

On Saturday, May 9, 2026, our Hawaii Island employees and their ohana joined the community at the annual Hawaii Island Charity Walk!    Each island also holds a Charity Walk on the same day, and this year, the Hawaii Island walk was hosted at Waikoloa Beach Marriott Resort & Spa. The event featured food, entertainment, and of course, exercise, while raising money to support dozens of Hawaii's local non-profits that help families, keiki, and kupuna! Our employees also shared emergency preparedness and wildfire safety information to make sure our communities are informed and ready for storm season.   Mahalo to everyone who took part in this event to support charities within our community!

On Saturday, May 9, 2026, our employees and their ohana volunteered at the Maui Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) Preparedness Expo, hosted at Queen Ka'ahumanu Center on Maui!   This event brought together agencies and organizations to provide the community with emergency preparedness information as we approach hurricane season, which begins in June.   Our interactive booth shared resources and a checklist for emergency preparedness, which included downloading our free Hawaiian Electric mobile app, having a 14-day supply of food, water, and medication, creating an evacuation plan for your family, having alternative communication and power sources - like flash lights or a radio, and putting together a go-bag.    Mahalo to MEMA for having us at this event!   For more tips on how you and your ohana can prepare for storm season, visit: https://lnkd.in/g4tA4BBa   Also, be sure to follow our social media accounts or download our FREE mobile app to stay informed during emergencies.  Facebook/Instagram: @HawaiianElectric X (formerly Twitter): @HwnElectric, @HIElectricLight, and @MauiElectric

In a new blog post from our series “The Electric Garage Talk,” Jennifer Ecklund, an administrative assistant for our electrification of transportation team shares U.S. Army veteran Ivan Rudenko’s journey from being an electric vehicle (EV) skeptic to becoming an EV enthusiast! Before switching to EVs, Ivan was a self-proclaimed “anti-electrical vehicle guy,” preferring the power and sound of muscle engines. Ivan’s first taste of EV life came courtesy of his wife, Valerie, who was looking for a new car at BMW of Honolulu. She fell in love with the smooth, instantaneous acceleration of a BMW i5. Though he initially hesitated, Ivan noted that the numbers and everyday conveniences won him over. “My wife’s heavy scrutiny over our family budget means every cent counts. When our monthly electric bill jumped only $75–$85, instead of the hundreds we spent on gas, I was convinced.” shares Ivan. To learn more about Ivan’s EV journey, visit: https://lnkd.in/gDUyzqmV

The People of Hawaiian Electric make our company special!   In this video, our employees reflect on the work they do each day and why it matters to the communities we serve. Mahalo to all our employees for their commitment to serving our customers every day!   Interested in joining our Hawaiian Electric ohana? You can visit our website at https://lnkd.in/ginRqyW6 to explore available opportunities.   Hawaiian Electric is an equal employment opportunity/affirmative action employer.

Congratulations to the class of 2026! As we enter graduation season, we want to remind everyone to celebrate safely. During graduation season, metallic balloons account for the highest percentage of outages. If you give or receive metallic balloons, please remember the following safety tips: - Never intentionally release metallic balloons into the sky; Remember, it's now prohibited by law in Hawaii! - Always attach a small weight to the end of the ribbon or string that holds the helium-filled metallic balloon to keep it from floating away. If you see a metallic balloon caught in a power line, DO NOT attempt to climb a utility pole or pull the string to recover it. Please call one of our trouble lines to report it: 📞 Oahu: 1-855-304-1212 📞 Maui County: 1-855-304-8181 📞 Hawaii Island: 1-855-304-9191 For more tips, visit: https://lnkd.in/gEimjbnz

Last month, our employees on Maui volunteered at the Maui Hiring Fair held at the Fairmont Kea Lani Hotel! At this event, our employees connected with graduating high school seniors and showcased all the career pathways we offer! Mahalo to our employees and all the other organizations who volunteered at this event! 

It’s Endangered Species Day, and we’re here for it! The 2026 theme, “Celebrating America’s Wildlife Comeback Stories,” highlights species that have largely recovered thanks to conservation and protections. Here in Hawaii, one of the more famous success stories is the Nene or Hawaiian goose, considered the world’s rarest goose. Named Hawaii’s official state bird in 1957, the nene population was once down to some 30 birds and today has rebounded to around ~3,800 statewide in 2023 thanks to breeding programs, predator control and habitat protection. Cool fact: nene are monogamous and mate for life. In 2019, the nene was downlisted from endangered to threatened. Federally listed in 1967, the Io or Hawaiian hawk is another story of recovery as habitat protection and reduced hunting contributed to the forest bird’s complete removal from the endangered species list in 2020. A symbol of royalty in Hawaiian legend and the only hawk native to Hawaii, its shrill high-pitched “eeh-oh” is the basis for its name. Once hunted to near extinction, the Kohola or Hawaiian humpback whale is the comeback kid that demonstrates exactly how the protections of the Endangered Species Act and Marine Mammal Protection Act has helped its Hawaii population recover to where it was delisted in 2016. The Hawaiian monk seal, while still endangered, is showing signs of recovery in part due to rescue/rehabilitation programs, protected areas and community reporting and response. Similarly, the population of Honu or green sea turtles, while still a threatened species in Hawaii, has increased by around 50% over the past 25 years thanks to nesting protections and bans on harvesting as well as habitat conservation. As we mark Endangered Species Day and celebrate the recovery of some species, there are still many species in Hawaii that remain on the endangered list. It is everyone’s kuleana, responsibility, to continue building the momentum for wildlife and help protect threatened and endangered wildlife and their habitats. Mahalo to all who help in the cause and guide fragile wildlife populations along the road to recovery.