Big Island residents are once again asked to conserve power this evening as Hawaiian Electric experiences an energy shortfall.
According to a Hawaiian Electric news release, three generators supplying power to the electrical grid are offline for various issues — one for emergency repairs, another for annual maintenance work and the third for “unexpected issues” — causing a 66-megawatt energy shortfall.
In order to ensure that the power grid can support peak demand in the evenings, customers are asked to use less electricity between 5 and 9 p.m. Customers can conserve power by turning off air conditioners and unnecessary lighting and delaying activities like cooking, showering, laundry and more until after the conservation period is over.
If necessary, Hawaiian Electric will impose rolling 30-minute outages in certain areas to maintain power to the majority of the grid. Should this happen, Hawaiian electric will notify customers in advance via social media at @HIElectricLight on Twitter.