Utility crews work on lines along Honoapiilani Highway last month near Wahikuli. The U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee will hold its first hearing on the Maui wildfires on Sept. 28. Members have said they are interested in the role that electric equipment may have played in the fire. The Maui News / MATTHEW THAYER photo
The head of Hawaiian Electric and other top energy officials are expected to testify when a U.S. House committee holds its first hearing seeking answers on the Maui wildfires on Sept. 28.
The House Energy and Commerce Committee, chaired by U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.), announced the hearing on Thursday. Shelee Kimura, president and CEO of Hawaiian Electric; Leo Asuncion Jr., chairman of the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission; and Mark Glick, chief energy officer of the Hawaii State Energy Office, are expected to testify, the committee said in a news release.
Rodgers and U.S. Rep. Morgan Griffith (R-Va.), chairperson of the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee, as well as U.S. Rep. Jeff Duncan (R-S.C.), chairperson of the Energy, Climate and Grid Security Subcommittee, recently launched an investigation into the Aug. 8 wildfires, which destroyed more than 2,000 structures and killed at least 115 people in Lahaina, while also burning down 19 homes in Upcountry.
“In our capacity as Chairs of the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the U.S. House of Representatives and its respective energy policy and oversight subcommittees, we are empowered to oversee energy supply, reliability of all power, and regulation of energy resources throughout the country,” the lawmakers said in a letter to Kimura, Asuncion and Glick on Aug. 30. “To that end, we seek a fuller understanding of the role, if any, of the electric infrastructure in this tragic event.”
The Public Utilities Commission confirmed Thursday that Asuncion, Glick and Kimura had been invited to respond to the subcommittee’s questions on the wildfires. The PUC said it is “committed to continuing to provide support” for ongoing investigations into the Aug. 8 wildfires.
Charred utility lines and a transformer are seen along Front Street last month near Puamana. The U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee plans to hold a hearing on the Maui wildfires on Sept. 28. Shelee Kimura, president and CEO of Hawaiian Electric; Leo Asuncion Jr., chairman of the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission; and Mark Glick, chief energy officer for the Hawaii State Energy Office, are expected to testify. The Maui News / MATTHEW THAYER photo
“The Commission looks forward to discussing with the Members of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations ways in which we can continue to modernize and strengthen electric grids and to prioritize the most effective risk mitigation measures to ensure that the devastation caused by an event like the Maui wildfires will never happen again,” the PUC said in a statement on Thursday.
Hawaiian Electric is facing multiple lawsuits from Maui County and residents alleging that the company did not properly maintain its aging equipment and failed to shut off power during high winds, causing the deadly Aug. 8 wildfires.
HECO has acknowledged that power lines falling in high winds appeared to have caused the first Lahaina fire at about 6:30 a.m. on Aug. 8. However, the company said that its lines in West Maui had been de-energized for more than six hours by the time a second fire flared up at around 3 p.m. and destroyed much of Lahaina town. HECO has said the cause of the second fire has not been determined and criticized Maui County’s lawsuit as premature while investigations are ongoing.
“As we have done with all the inquiries regarding the events of Aug. 8, we stand ready to share what we know about what happened on Maui as well as the need to address increasing threats from extreme weather events moving forward,” HECO said in a statement on Thursday.
Some of the questions that the Energy and Commerce Committee members have asked the local energy officials to answer include the actions taken to mitigate invasive grasses and fire risks; HECO’s spending over the past decade on infrastructure, fire risks and other costs; and efforts to modernize and harden the grid.
“The pain is unimaginable and the road to recovery is long,” the committee members said in the Aug. 30 letter. “We must come to a complete understanding of how this disaster started to ensure Hawaii and other states are prepared to prevent and stop other deadly wildfires.”
* Managing Editor Colleen Uechi can be reached at cuechi@mauinews.com.
Charred utility lines and a transformer are seen along Front Street last month near Puamana. The U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee plans to hold a hearing on the Maui wildfires on Sept. 28. Shelee Kimura, president and CEO of Hawaiian Electric; Leo Asuncion Jr., chairman of the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission; and Mark Glick, chief energy officer for the Hawaii State Energy Office, are expected to testify. The Maui News / MATTHEW THAYER photo 
Utility crews work on lines along Honoapiilani Highway last month near Wahikuli. The U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee will hold its first hearing on the Maui wildfires on Sept. 28. Members have said they are interested in the role that electric equipment may have played in the fire. The Maui News / MATTHEW THAYER photoToday's breaking news and more in your inbox
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