Hawaiian Electric says it has identified one of the culprits behind recent power outages in Hawaiʻi Kai and East Honolulu — albizia trees.
Overgrowth of albizias along the base of the Koʻolau mountains interfered with the utility's transmission lines, which carry electricity from Windward Oʻahu to East Honolulu.
Parts of Hawaiʻi Kai lost power last week when an albizia fell across one of the lines.
HECO used helicopter flights to assess the extent of the overgrowth and is working on an action plan to keep the area clear in the future, said Jim Alberts, HECO senior vice president and chief operations officer.
"We have schedules we follow to cut back vegetation from critical areas but invasive albizia are especially challenging because they grow so quickly and have branches that can break off easily, especially in heavy rains,” Alberts said.
Hawaiian Electric spends about $12 million a year on vegetation management on Oʻahu.
