Hawai'i Kai and East Oahu have THE MOST power outages in all of Hawai'i. Additionally, 70,000 Oʻahu customers — nearly 1 in 4 — were without power at one point during the severe Kona low storms in March 2026. And it keeps happening. Sign this petition to demand a stronger, more reliable power grid for Hawaiʻi before the next major storm hits.

As an East Oʻahu resident, I have personally experienced these repeated outages. We are calling on Hawaiʻi’s leaders, regulators, and Hawaiian Electric to accelerate the modernization and strengthening of our power grid so residents are not repeatedly left in the dark whenever severe weather hits. Sign this petition to demand a more reliable and resilient power system for Hawaiʻi. This is not just about inconvenience. Power outages can mean losing refrigeration, internet and communications, traffic signals, medical equipment, business operations, and other essential services. And 2026 has shown just how vulnerable our electrical system can be. In March, about 70,000 Oʻahu customers were without power at one point during severe Kona low storms. In August, another major storm left thousands without electricity and damaged critical transmission infrastructure. On September 8, Hurricane Lowell knocked out power to approximately 21,000 Oʻahu customers. And on September 27, Hurricane Nolo left approximately 3,900 customers without power on Windward Oʻahu. Hawaiʻi cannot prevent every storm, and no electrical grid can guarantee that the power will never go out. But we can build a system where outages happen less often, affect fewer people, and are restored faster. What we are asking for We call on Hawaiian Electric, the Hawaiʻi Public Utilities Commission, the State of Hawaiʻi, and our elected leaders to accelerate investments that make Hawaiʻi’s electrical grid more resilient, including: Strengthening and replacing vulnerable utility poles, power lines, substations, and other critical equipment. Strategically undergrounding vulnerable power lines where it would significantly improve reliability and safety. Expanding battery storage, distributed solar, and microgrids so communities and critical facilities can keep operating when parts of the larger grid fail. Installing more smart-grid technology and automated equipment that can isolate failures and restore power more quickly. Improving vegetation management and wildfire protection around electrical infrastructure. Using available state and federal resilience funding efficiently and transparently. Prioritizing communities that experience frequent or prolonged outages. These solutions are achievable. Hawaiʻi already receives federal funding specifically intended to prevent outages and strengthen the electrical grid, and major energy-infrastructure modernization projects are already being considered. The question is how quickly and effectively we act. Hawaiʻi is uniquely dependent on its own island electrical systems. When part of our grid fails, we cannot simply import electricity from a neighboring state. That makes resilience especially important for our homes, schools, hospitals, businesses, and emergency services. We should not accept repeated, widespread power outages as normal. The storms of 2026 have made the problem impossible to ignore. Hawaiʻi has the technology, funding opportunities, and ability to build a stronger system. Now we need the commitment to make it happen. Sign this petition to demand a stronger, safer, and more reliable power grid for Hawaiʻi. Every signature shows our leaders that reliable electricity is not optional — it is essential infrastructure.