| Hawaiian Electric announced actions it is taking as part of its Wildfire Safety Strategy, particularly in drought-stricken areas at elevated risk for wildfires. The August 8 fire in the historic town of Lahaina killed at least 97 people and destroyed more than 2,000 buildings, mostly homes. It first erupted at 6:30 a.m. when strong winds appeared to cause a Hawaiian Electric power line to fall, igniting dry brush and grass near a large subdivision. The three-phase strategy starts with immediate actions, including deploying spotters to strategic locations in risk areas to watch for ignition in the event of red flag warnings issued by the National Weather Service; and automatically shutting off power lines in risk areas if a fault or disturbance is detected on a circuit. The second phase includes work that is underway or will soon be underway to harden the grid against extreme weather events and reduce potential hazards. Additionally, Hawaiian Electric is advancing work on its $190 million grid resilience plan to harden against wildfires, hurricanes, tsunamis, and flooding, and to adapt to climate change impacts. Half of this multi-year program is to be paid by the federal government with the other half matched by customers, pending approval by the Public Utilities Commission. | 