Due to the loss of several generating units earlier Friday, Hawaiian Electric is asking Oahu residents to conserve electricity use this evening, especially between 6 and 8 p.m.
Additional generation has been brought online and HECO expects to have enough power to meet the early evening peak demand for power. Energy conservation, however, can help to ensure sufficient power is available to meet that demand.
Suggested steps include turning off or lessening use of air conditioners; delaying hot showers, laundry and dishwashing activities; and minimizing cooking until later in the evening.
At about 11 a.m., the unexpected loss of some power generation, likely due to weather conditions, required HECO to briefly shut off power to approximately 60,000 customers across the island. The targeted emergency outages were necessary to avoid a more widespread outage or damage to the electric system from an imbalance of too much demand versus too little available generation.
The outages affected customers in areas across the island, including Iwilei, Kakaako, Pauoa, Waipahu, Waialua, Nuuanu, Moanalua, Aiea, Wahiawa and Makaha, Kaneohe, Salt Lake, Pearl City and Kailua, Kahaluu, Punaluu, Hauula, Kahuku, Kapiolani and Kapalama. Power to most affected customers was restored by approximately 12:35 p.m.
Lightning was reported in the area when the Kalaeloa Power Plant lost approximately 120 megawatts of generating capacity. Subsequently, three generating units at the Kahe Power Plant with a combined capacity of 314 megawatts also went out of service, followed by the H-POWER plant losing approximately 40 megawatts of generating capacity.
Other generating units have been brought online and some of the generators that went offline earlier are being restored to service.
