Hawaiian Electric will install a series of weather-monitoring stations in wildfire-prone areas statewide.
Hawaiian Electric will install a series of weather-monitoring stations in wildfire-prone areas statewide.
As part of its Public Safety Power Shutoff program — through which HECO will preemptively cut power to an area if the risk of a wildfire is high to prevent damaged electrical infrastructure from starting a blaze — the energy provider will set up 52 stations to gather real-time weather data.
The stations are solar powered and will record the local temperature, relative humidity, wind speed and direction, which will help HECO make a determination about whether to implement a PSPS.
Fifteen of the stations will be set up on the Big Island.
“These weather stations will play a critical role as we continue to take action to address the growing risk of wildfires,” said Jim Alberts, Hawaiian Electric senior vice president and chief operations officer, in a statement. “The detailed information they provide will allow us to take preventative action more quickly to protect public safety.”
Weather station data also will be shared with the National Weather Service, academic institutions and other weather forecasting services.
The $1.7 million project is one of several short-term measures HECO is undertaking to reduce wildfire risk. The energy provider announced earlier this month it will install 78 cameras statewide that will similarly help determine whether to cut power in an area.
The installation of the weather stations should be completed by the end of the month.
