Hawaii island customers told to resume normal power usage
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Hawaiian Electric told Big Island customers to resume using electricity as normal, ending a call to conserve power on the island after its generation capacity dropped due to some units going out of service.
The Keahole CT-5 unit was online ahead of schedule following a major maintenance overhaul, along with the Puna Steam unit and the Kanoelehua CT-1 unit. These units have a combined production capacity of up to 53 megawatts, which could account for nearly one-third of Hawaii island's typical peak demand of 180 MW.
Generation margins have recovered to the point that conservation can be lifted, Hawaiian Electric said Wednesday.
Hawaiian Electric and independent power producer Hamakua Energy continue to troubleshoot and repair the generating units that are out of service, company officials said.
On March 25, Hawaiian Electric had asked Hawaii island customers to reduce or shift their electricity use through April due to the unavailability of several large generators and cautioned that rolling outages might be needed.
"Our customers made a difference, and we were able to prevent additional shortfalls with their help," said Kristen Okinaka, Hawaiian Electric spokesperson.
Large businesses and government agencies made a significant impact by voluntarily reducing their electricity use, the company said.
