The Public Utilities Commission has approved Hawaiian Electric’s expanded wildfire safety plan, which includes new technology and steps to reduce fire hazards to lower wildfire risk.

The commission said the plan is expected to reduce wildfire risk and includes a framework to track progress through 2027.

“We appreciate the PUC’s thorough review and approval of this comprehensive plan for the safety of our communities,” said Jim Alberts, Hawaiian Electric senior vice president and chief operations officer. “This work is already underway, and we’re working with government agencies and community partners who are focused on addressing the ongoing risk of wildfires.”

According to the commission, the expanded strategy identifies key initiatives such as vegetation management in areas with medium to high ignition risk, installation of additional weather stations and hazard-detection cameras, and creation of a wildfire-focused watch office.

Hawaiian Electric said it plans to develop an operational wildfire risk model to inform real-time decision-making and management of its Public Safety Power Shutoff program.

In a separate docket, the commission is considering the overall $480 million cost of the three-year Wildfire Safety Strategy. About one-third of the funding is already secured through existing programs, including a federal grid resilience grant received in 2024.

Roughly two-thirds of the cost would go toward capital investments in upgraded infrastructure, with the remaining third allocated to operations and maintenance, including equipment inspections and trimming or removal of thousands of hazardous trees.