Hawaiian Electric crews install power lines along Honoapiilani Highway in Lahaina Wednesday afternoon. The Maui News / MATTHEW THAYER photo

The Maui News

With about 300 customers still without power in Lahaina, Hawaiian Electric is continuing repairs in the area as crews get clearance to reenter parts of the town destroyed by the August wildfire.

Crews are working to restore power to remaining customers and rebuild portions of the damaged electric system, HECO said Thursday. About 300 customers in Lahaina, including in the Wahikuli area, are still without electricity.

Over the last two weeks, with more areas cleared for reentry by emergency response officials, crews restored power to about 350 customers in Kahoma Village, parts of Puamana and upper Kapunakea area, the company said.

Crews brought more than 95 percent of Maui customers who were affected by outages in West Maui and Upcountry back online by Aug. 25. In September, Maui emergency management officials asked HECO to begin rebuilding electrical infrastructure for critical services around Lahaina, restoring power to wastewater pumps, traffic signals and telecommunication services.

Other rebuilding work includes the construction of about 600 feet of underground electrical infrastructure to support the installation of a substation transformer at the company’s Lahainaluna Substation mauka of the Lahaina Bypass along Lahainaluna Road. HECO said this work improves service reliability to neighborhoods in Lahainaluna, Puamana and the area from Launiupoko to Olowalu, places that were formerly supported by the Lahainaluna Substation destroyed in the fire. Customers in these areas are currently being served by two temporary mobile substations that were installed in late August.

Once the undergrounding of infrastructure and installation of the new transformer is complete, one of the temporary mobile substations will be removed.

Crews are also working to restore a third transmission line along its former route through Lahaina town with the installation of new interim poles and electrical equipment. The temporary overhead infrastructure provides a backup route of power to West Maui, including neighborhoods in Puukolii, Mahinahina, Napili, Kaanapali and Kapalua.

Until the repairs of this third transmission line are complete, which is anticipated to happen in the first quarter of 2024, West Maui customers may experience extended outages because power cannot currently be rerouted from another circuit. HECO said this would not preclude the possibility of underground utilities in the future.