Hawaiian Electric accused of focusing on meeting Democrats' renewable energy mandate rather than addressing known wildfire risks



A number of Democrats and other leftists have blamed the deadly wildfires in Hawaii on the specter of anthropogenic climate change. They may be right, but only in a perverted sense.

Like the Biden administration, Hawaii's Gov. Josh Green (D) and both the state's 88%-Democratic House and 92%-Democratic state Senate are ostensibly keen to "lead the globe on clean energy and climate issues."

It appears that the efforts by Hawaii's largest energy provider to follow suit and satisfy a Democrat-mandated transition to renewable energy took priority over alternatively pragmatic efforts to maintain its equipment and deal with the known and documented threat of fuel buildup in the form of flammable vegetation.

Hawaiian Electric, which serves 95% of the state's 1.4 million residents, was slapped with a lawsuit Wednesday, which alleged the "negligent and reckless operation" of its infrastructure "necessarily cause the Lahaina fire," reported Forbes.

The utility company, which also owns one of Hawaii's biggest banks, issued a statement on Aug. 8, noting there were scores of downed electric poles in various parts of Maui and warning Hawaiians to assume they were energized.

The New York Times indicated that Hawaiian Electric had not preemptively shut down the lines ahead of high wind warnings, with the company's chief executive Shelee Kimura admitting as much in recent days.

The negligence lawsuit claimed that extra to Hawaiian Electric providing an "ignition source" — having allegedly failed to "deenergize power lines during a High Wind Watch or Red Flag Warning, and ... shut off the power during those conditions" — the company had also neglected to adequately clear flammable vegetation and maintain its equipment.

Mikal Watts, a lead attorney on the case, told NBC Wednesday, "Hawaiian Electric is not just responsible and they weren’t just negligent. ... They were grossly negligent by making conscious decisions to delay grid modernization projects that would have prevented this very tragedy."

In the aftermath of the ruinous blazes, at least three other lawsuits have reportedly been filed that advance similar allegations.

The Wall Street Journal reported that Hawaiian Electric has known about the pressing need to take preventive measures concerning wildfire threats for years, concluding during the 2019 wildfire season that it needed to ensure its power lines would not spit sparks.

This preventive measure would have been especially important, not because of so-called climate change, but because flammable, invasive plants have overgrown derelict farms and taken over one-quarter of state land, leaving Hawaii crowded with potential fuel.

Despite recognizing the need to act, the Journal indicated that Hawaiian Electric spent less than $245,000 on wildfire-specific projects on Maui between 2019 and 2022, according to regulatory filings. It didn't press the state for approval to raise rates to pay for such improvements until June 2022 and still has yet to receive it.

While Hawaiian Electric has made various commitments to take precautionary measures to "minimize the risk of sparks when winds picked up," the Journal reported that former regulators and energy company officials said the utility was preoccupied "at that time procuring renewable energy."

This focus was largely resultant of the state's 2015 mandate to totally transition to renewable energy.

According to the Democrat-authored 2015 law, Hawaii is required to meet interim renewable portfolio standards of 40% by 2030, 70% by 2040, and 100% by 2045.

Mina Morita, former chair of Hawaii's utility commission, told the Journal, "You have to look at the scope and scale of the transformation within [Hawaiian Electric] that was occurring throughout the system. ... While there was concern for wildfire risk, politically the focus was on electricity generation."

In addition to allegedly prioritizing the green transition sought by Democrats over wildfire prevention measures, the utility also reportedly put off investing in mitigation until its coffers could be filled.

While Hawaiian Electric reportedly talked about spending roughly $190 million on power line maintenance and repair, removing flammable vegetative material, and taking other measures to mitigate wildfire risks, the Journal indicated that the company declined to "start on the work until it ha[d] state approval to recoup costs from customers — a common occurrence when utilities seek to make large investments."

Bloomberg reported that power lines have sparked numerous deadly fires across the United States in recent years. In California, the state's largest utility, PG&E Corp., went bankrupt in 2019 after its equipment was deemed responsible for blazes, including the 2018 Camp Fire, which claimed the lives of 85 people.

As of Thursday morning, authorities had confirmed at least 111 people have died in the Hawaii wildfires.

The Journal indicated the utility had not yet responded with comment.

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Biden finally addresses the historic devastation in Maui but at times appears unable to recall the island's name: 'Not the one where you see on television all the time'



President Joe Biden, who has reportedly spent over a year of his presidency on vacation, was recently lambasted for idling on a beach in Delaware while historic wildfires raged in Maui, Hawaii, claiming the lives of at least 106 people and torching over 2,100 acres.

When Biden finally returned to his post, he prompted outrage again, declining to comment on the tragedy.

On Tuesday, the Democratic octogenarian broke his silence on Maui, but appeared at times unable to name the island on the minds and lips of many Americans, including the former Democratic state representative official who has called him out despite having previously campaigned for him.

Speaking to a crowd of roughly 150 workers and supporters at the Ingeteam Inc. electrical engineering factory in Milwaukee, Biden focused primarily on hyping his so-called "Bidenomics" plan, claiming that it was "working," notwithstanding rising inflation, dwindling hourly earnings, failing banks, runaway spending, and rising mortgage rates.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel indicated that the visit was of strategic importance, as Biden wanted to set the tone ahead of the GOP presidential primary debate in Milwaukee on Aug. 23.

When Biden came around to discussing the Hawaii wildfires, he prefaced his remarks with an apology for going over time with his speech.

With the aid of teleprompters, he initially invoked Maui by name, indicating that 500 federal personnel had been deployed to the island to "help communities and survivors get back on their feet." However, in the 44-minute speech, he would only speak the name "Maui" once more.

After remarking upon the damage done and the misery left in the wake of the fires, Biden indicated that he and Jill Biden would soon be traveling to Hawaii, then proceeded to detail the efforts of the Coast Guard and Navy to support search and rescue operations.

The Daily Mail reported that Biden appeared to struggle to name Maui, stating, "The Army helicopters helped fire suppression efforts on the Big Island because there's still some burning on the Big Island — not the one that, not the one where you see on television all the time."

Biden's seeming memory lapse regarding the American region burning under his watch does not appear to have prompted nearly as much outrage as his refusal to speak about the tragedy for four days or his offer of a one-time payment of $700 per household in emergency aid to victims of the wildfires, which Newsweek reported critics have set in contrast to the billions of dollars in aid sent to foreign nations.

The White House has intimated that its actions speak more loudly than the words Biden can recall, citing the provision of 50,000 meals, 75,000 liters of water, 5,000 cots, and 10,000 blankets by the Federal Emergency Management Agency to victims of the wildfires, along with the response efforts by the Coast Guard, the Navy's Third Fleet, and the Marines, reported NBC News.

While the Biden administration has taken action, residents on the "Big Island" have indicated that volunteers have provided for more support than the government, according to a New York Times report.

Concerning criticism of Biden's response to the tragedy, White House spokesman Andrew Bates stated, "We won't be lectured by Republican officials in Washington who are doubling denial of the climate crisis that is devastating red and blue states."

Various other Democrats have insinuated or claimed outright that the specter of anthropogenic climate change is responsible for the fires, whereas the Times has indicated the unchecked weeds and other highly flammable invasive plants that took over Hawaii's derelict farms predisposed the state to burn.

With the Wisconsin speech and double mention of Maui behind him, Biden is reportedly headed to Lake Tahoe for a week-long vacation.

President Biden vows Hawaii will have 'everything it needs' for tackling wildfiresyoutu.be

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Historic church spared by the Maui fires towers above ash and rubble: 'It's like a miracle'



The wildfires that ravaged the Hawaii island of Maui are the deadliest in over a century, having claimed at least 96 lives. Authorities expect the death toll to rise.

Thousands of acres of land have been torched along with the historic Lahaina area, which KHON-TV reported will cost well over $5.5 billion to rebuild.

In downtown Lahaina, there appears to have been at least one historic structure the fires could not claim, now standing defiantly amid the ash and ruin.

Maria Lanakila (Our Lady of Victory) Catholic Church, established by Fr. Aubert of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Mary and Jesus in 1846, appears to have been spared from the worst of the smoke and flame.

Viral footage taken out front of the church pans from side to side, showing the largely untouched church surrounded by smoldering verges, collapsed buildings, and immolated trees.

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USA Today reported that the original structure comprised an adobe building with grass hut chapels. The modern stone structure that stands today was completed in 1873.

The church, which serves between 700 and 800 families, contains artwork rumored to be gifts from King Kalakaua or his sister, Queen Liliuokalani.

Msgr. Terrence Watanabe, pastor of St. Anthony’s, told the Pillar, "Basically what we know is the fact that all of Lahaina Town has been consumed by fire. It’s all gone. The church, Maria Lanakila [Our Lady of Victory], is still standing."

Although the rectory is reported to have suffered some damage, it appears to have fared better than the nearby Sacred Hearts School, which had its roof torn off.

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"For us, it’s like a miracle," Watanabe told the Star Advertiser. "When we saw the news and saw the church steeple rise above the town, it was a great sight to see."

"May She be the beacon of hope…to help the rest of the community," said parishioner Jeffrey Chang, reported the New York Post.

The pastor of the church, Fr. Kuriakose Nadooparambil, indicated all of his staff escaped the fire and found temporary residence with members of the Catholic community in Central Maui.

The Waiola Church, home of a United Church of Christ congregation and Hawaii's first Christian cemetery, was not so fortunate, having been razed in the inferno.

Lay minister Anela Rosa told USA Today, "It's gone, the social hall, the sanctuary, the annex, all of it."

The Waiola Church celebrated its 200th anniversary in May and is the final resting place of the Kingdom of Hawaii's royal family, according to the church's website.

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