New paint, new lights, more memories: Big Ben brings holiday cheer to Hilo
The Downtown Hilo Christmas Lights Parade has always been a staple holiday tradition for me and the Hilo community, signaling the beginning of the holiday season with festive lights, music, and massive floats of Christmas decorations.
Electric Garage Talk: Cynthia and her IONIQ, Esther
When Cynthia Carlton-Jarmon first learned to drive on her family’s farm in North Carolina — driving tractors, pickup trucks at nine, and school buses in high school — she never imagined she’d one day be zipping around Oahu in a sleek electric vehicle (EV) named Esther.
Dedicated volunteers make the holidays brighter
During the holiday season, drivers heading east on the H-1 Freeway past the Koko Head cutoff can see the Puu O Kaimuki Park Christmas tree twinkling colorfully in the night skies. It’s a sight that draws gasps of delight and inspires feelings of joy and hope.
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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.
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.
