Energy savings and sustainable living in the city
Sometimes city life can be overwhelming and “detached” from nature, but luckily the building I live in prioritizes energy efficiency, and I have started to incorporate other simple energy-saving habits and sustainable living practices into my life to save money and do my part for our aina, even from my 450-square-foot apartment.
Pet Preparedness: Building an emergency kit
When disaster strikes, we often focus on our own safety. We make sure to have food, water, flashlights, and other essentials that you may need in an emergency — but what about our pets?
Wildfire safety begins with learning
May is National Wildfire Awareness Month dedicated to prevention and preparedness. The Hawaii Wildfire Management Organization (HWMO) says over 99% of all wildfires in Hawaii are human-caused, and wildfire safety begins with learning about wildfire and safety.
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Emergency Preparedness, Safety, Tree Trimming
Greatest of all time (GOAT) goat grazing on Maui
In partnership with Surfing Goat Dairy, it was the first time in our company’s 100-plus year history where we “employed” 15 goats to clear a 1-acre area next to one of our substations.
Bill and Payment, Community
Downtown Honolulu gets a new payment drop box
Today, those payment boxes are still open in Kahului, Hilo, Kona, Waimea and our new Honolulu location at Alii Place at 1099 Alakea St. (replacing the payment box at the American Savings Bank Tower, which will close on July 11), but they are not the only way to pay your bill.
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Business/Commercial, Electric Vehicles
Electric Garage Talk: King's Transport Refrigeration - Leading the charge in sustainable cold storage solutions
Founded in 2011, Pacific Van Liners LLC (DBA King’s Transport Refrigeration & Bus AC Services) is a family business headquartered on Oahu and run by Santos and Nikki Gomez. Over the years, it has grown into a specialized service provider for refrigerated transport equipment in Hawaii, covering Oahu, Kauai, and Hawaii Island (and soon Maui).
Community, Outages, Residential
Some first-generation Mililani kids, homes and utility lines nearing age 50
Growing up in a young master-planned community, it was typical for every fourth house on your street to look almost exactly like yours. What wasn’t typical was seeing a utility pole in your neighborhood since Castle & Cooke developed Mililani with the utilities underground. But the aging electrical infrastructure has started to cause frequent outages in some older neighborhoods.
Community
A father’s influence on energy savings and sustainability
My dad, Dave Okamura, has been an electrical engineer for Hawaiian Electric on Hawaii Island for 31 years, and he is one of the many people in my life who has inspired me. While I may not be following his specific career path, mostly because I am bad at math, I grew up surrounded by chatter about energy. Years later, I wouldn’t have imagined that I’d be working for the same company.
Emergency Preparedness, Safety
Collaborating with the community during a PSPS
On May 14, 2025, our Emergency Planning and Preparedness team held a tabletop exercise to strengthen our work and communication with external stakeholders, including our partner organizations and customers.
Emergency Preparedness, Safety
Preparedness means supporting our employees and their ohana
On Wednesday, May 14, 2025, I attended our Emergency Preparedness Fair for employees and their ohana. We were joined by our external partners including the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, the Department of Emergency Management, and the Hawaii Wildfire Management Organization.
Community, Energy Savings
A simple wish for Mother’s Day: Flip the switch
So instead, I have a simple energy-saving request of Jake, who is 17. Perhaps, for the sake of the planet and my sanity, he could remember to turn off his night light.
Emergency Preparedness, Safety
Pet Preparedness: Building an emergency kit
When disaster strikes, we often focus on our own safety. We make sure to have food, water, flashlights, and other essentials that you may need in an emergency — but what about our pets?
Community, Outages
Crews upgrade power cables in Nanakuli to address outages
As a communications specialist, it’s part of my job to monitor outages and at times field calls from local media outlets. Unfortunately, we respond to inquiries about outages in some areas more frequently than others. Of late, Nanakuli has had more than its fair share of outages. It’s why our company has embarked on a major project to replace direct-buried cables that are at the root of the problem.
