The Year 2016: Looking back at the past decade

Instagram Boomerangs, pop music, and Pokemon Go — 2016 seems to have been a year full of easygoing energy and lighthearted moments. Although many are looking forward to what’s ahead this year, a wave of nostalgia has also hit social media, and my feed has been flooded with posts reminiscing on the good old days of the previous decade. Hoping to rekindle the warm feelings of that era, people have even claimed 2026 as the new 2016 as they repost old photos.

Because I’ve only been part of our social media team for about a year, the 2016 trend piqued my curiosity about what our company was up to and what we were posting back then. After scrolling through our old social media posts and web pages, as well as talking with a couple of employees who were here at the time, it’s obvious that while our company has grown quickly, our commitment to serving the community has always remained strong.

In 2016, our company shared fun safety reminders about Pokemon Go and picturesque skies at our power plants, but we also achieved several major milestones, including our 125th anniversary and the launch of our first-ever online outage map for Oahu. Both milestones are a testament to the hard work and care everyone here puts into powering Hawaii.

Hawaiian Electric officially celebrated our 125th anniversary on Oct. 13, 2016. Our company honored everyone who supported us over the years through 125 Acts of Aloha, which include social media posts featuring old photos, and more!

One employee who played a key role in preparing for our company’s anniversary is Estee Manfredi, our corporate librarian. Estee organized archives, uncovered historical facts, and revived old memories that inspired appreciation and respect for those that came before us. Estee alongside colleague Michelle Orian-Lau, a senior communications consultant II also helped with creating the holiday parade float, which was inspired by the giant cake from our company’s 50th anniversary back in 1941!

“Preparing for the 125th anniversary was such a learning experience. Michelle and I scoured old company publications looking for interesting facts. It was interesting to learn about the people and things our company has accomplished over the years,” Estee said. “Whenever I look back at old photos, the landscape and people change but our buildings are still there. If only these walls could talk!”

Meanwhile, that same year, our online outage map for Oahu was also under development and went live on Oct. 26, 2016. The map launched with information on all the known outages on the island, its status, and the number of customers impacted.

Since customers on Oahu could now conveniently report and monitor power outages from their mobile phones or computers, the launch of our outage map marked a significant step towards enhancing our customer experience. Our trouble line was already open 24/7 for customers to report an outage, but our customer service call center knew that many customers were looking for a more convenient way to get outage information in real time.

Building the outage map was a collaborative, company-wide effort, with people across departments working together to consider what our customers need. Our goal was to empower our customers with easily accessible information and a simple process for reporting outages.

The first iteration of our online outage map for Oahu transformed the way we communicate, helping to reduce the uncertainty that customers may feel during an outage. Today, we have an outage reporting tools and outage maps across our entire service territory, including Oahu, Hawaii Island, and Maui County, so residents on every island we serve can instantly access our outage information.

It’s clear in the old photos from 2016 that everyone here puts a lot of heart and intentionality into their work. This year marks our 135th anniversary, and the same passion for serving our community lives among our employees today.

The 2016 trend created a great opportunity to reflect on our company’s history and glean valuable insights. When I think back to 2016, I never would have imagined working at Hawaiian Electric. Back then, I was more focused on Snapchat streaks, viral memes, and Nike shoes than how my lights worked and who powered them. Now that I work here and know the people who keep my lights on, I truly appreciate everything that goes into powering our communities. It’s a privilege to witness history in the making as our company continues to work towards creating a clean energy future that supports our communities and all the generations to come. I look forward to all the growth our company will achieve within the next decade!