| The Hawaii Public Utilities Commission (PUC) has approved Hawaiian Electric’s $190 million Climate Adaptation Transmission and Distribution Resilience Program application, which the utility says is meant to help defend against the increasing threat of wildfires and harden its five island electric grids against severe weather-related events fueled by climate change. The decision enables Hawaiian Electric to move forward with $95 million in funding granted under the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) by matching it with $95 million to come from customers. The awarding of the federal grant was first announced by President Biden during a visit to Maui soon after the deadly Aug. 8, 2023 Lahaina wildfires that killed more than 100 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. | 