"Every member of the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission, which regulates Hawaii Electric, has financial or previous professional ties to the company." This is quite scandalous, given the PUC did not push Hawaii Electric to implement what would have cost $6.2 million to mitigate the "significant" risk of the utility system igniting wildfires.
The NYT is busy reporting that the stock price of Hawaii Electric is tanking, but so far the newspaper has not investigated the PUC-Hawaii Electric financial ties, the lobbyist-paid trips to NY, or that the utility spend nearly twice the amount of money lobbying state officials than it did to mitigate wildfires.
Hundreds of Billions for Ukraine - what have our own citizens dealing with this catastrophe in Hawaii received? Table scraps and “no comment” from our senile corporatist President.
Worked In Lahaina for 6 years. A wonderful place but , like most of Hawaii a dysfunctional mess. We all knew of the dangers of the wooden buildings, the good old boy government/private sector game playing and the out and out corruption. Not unusual,but it left West Maui very vulnerable. The inevitable has happened and I’m expecting a plethora of committee hearings and baskets of talk. Typically, they’ll all blame Climate Change and slap a surcharge on all tourism. Problem solved until next time.
Lee wrote the perfect beginning and followed it with FACTS while including a nod and a wink on a few non-qualitative actions not performed by Hawaii Electric.
The revolving door of regulator to regulated public utility and back or to a lobbying firm is alive and well in all 50 states of the USA. It’s decades old behavior. Don’t try the hopeless corruption at FERC, life time appointments, commissioners doing what is good for their own benefit and NOT the public good. This reporting is terrific and Lee Fang deserves huge credit; the story is worse, much worse. Lee Fang could devote a year to the matter and barely scratch the surface. In the meantime these self important clowns at the utilities in the “leadership” positions make enormous salary and bonus’ and are never held to account. Innocent people have been killed repeatedly, and it’s “nothing to see here folks”. One ought realize that the current “system” running the grid’s nationwide, was more or less put into place by Thomas Edison more than 100 years ago. But ask any 2 year old child where the power for the lights comes from and they like 330 plus million Americans will direct you to a switch on the wall. You get what you pay for and we are no where near what they intend to make us pay to restring the grid and find base load generation. One would think a devastating tragedy like the one last week in Maui would snap a few heads. We will see. Murphy was an optimist...
Another great piece of work, Lee! Sad how we answer (and serve) to an open market of corrupt policies. Policies cloaked as serving the public’s best interest, but in reality only serve those who design and maintain the facade. A facade that is only spotlighted as it crumbles due to hundreds, if not thousands, of innocent lives are lost and countless others permanently damaged. From foreign wars to domestic disasters, the cycle continues.
My thoughts and prayers are with all of the Hawaiian people struggling with their losses.
Lee's reporting is what all investigative journalism should aspire to be. His articles are concise, well written, and well researched. Bravo sir!
Nice work, Lee!
"Every member of the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission, which regulates Hawaii Electric, has financial or previous professional ties to the company." This is quite scandalous, given the PUC did not push Hawaii Electric to implement what would have cost $6.2 million to mitigate the "significant" risk of the utility system igniting wildfires.
The NYT is busy reporting that the stock price of Hawaii Electric is tanking, but so far the newspaper has not investigated the PUC-Hawaii Electric financial ties, the lobbyist-paid trips to NY, or that the utility spend nearly twice the amount of money lobbying state officials than it did to mitigate wildfires.
Keep up the excellent reporting, Lee!
"Climate change" is the dog that ate the homework.
Hundreds of Billions for Ukraine - what have our own citizens dealing with this catastrophe in Hawaii received? Table scraps and “no comment” from our senile corporatist President.
Worked In Lahaina for 6 years. A wonderful place but , like most of Hawaii a dysfunctional mess. We all knew of the dangers of the wooden buildings, the good old boy government/private sector game playing and the out and out corruption. Not unusual,but it left West Maui very vulnerable. The inevitable has happened and I’m expecting a plethora of committee hearings and baskets of talk. Typically, they’ll all blame Climate Change and slap a surcharge on all tourism. Problem solved until next time.
Lee wrote the perfect beginning and followed it with FACTS while including a nod and a wink on a few non-qualitative actions not performed by Hawaii Electric.
Excellent investigative journalism!
Wow, this looks like a colossal clusterf-k. As someone who grew up in Hawaii, I find it heartbreakingly sad but not totally surprising
Crony capitalism. Not on steroids, just the usual stuff.
To wit: “Tinder under our lines? “.
Hawaii Electric: We’ll get to it one of these years.
Hawaii PUC “OK!”
Hawaii Electric “Great! Now meet us in NY; we’ll pay the airfare”.
Hawaii PUC: Sounds like fun! See you in the Big Apple!
The revolving door of regulator to regulated public utility and back or to a lobbying firm is alive and well in all 50 states of the USA. It’s decades old behavior. Don’t try the hopeless corruption at FERC, life time appointments, commissioners doing what is good for their own benefit and NOT the public good. This reporting is terrific and Lee Fang deserves huge credit; the story is worse, much worse. Lee Fang could devote a year to the matter and barely scratch the surface. In the meantime these self important clowns at the utilities in the “leadership” positions make enormous salary and bonus’ and are never held to account. Innocent people have been killed repeatedly, and it’s “nothing to see here folks”. One ought realize that the current “system” running the grid’s nationwide, was more or less put into place by Thomas Edison more than 100 years ago. But ask any 2 year old child where the power for the lights comes from and they like 330 plus million Americans will direct you to a switch on the wall. You get what you pay for and we are no where near what they intend to make us pay to restring the grid and find base load generation. One would think a devastating tragedy like the one last week in Maui would snap a few heads. We will see. Murphy was an optimist...
Sadly, the fires in Maui remind me of the fires in Sonoma County a few years ago. Greed and neglect go hand in hand. 😔
Great report Lee. I’m sharing with my Maui friends.
Another great piece of work, Lee! Sad how we answer (and serve) to an open market of corrupt policies. Policies cloaked as serving the public’s best interest, but in reality only serve those who design and maintain the facade. A facade that is only spotlighted as it crumbles due to hundreds, if not thousands, of innocent lives are lost and countless others permanently damaged. From foreign wars to domestic disasters, the cycle continues.
My thoughts and prayers are with all of the Hawaiian people struggling with their losses.
Time for JAILS !!!
And -- time for Lee’s Pulitzer prize but if course corrupt “elites” are “offended” with his reporting.
Variation on a theme. Countless times.
Mr. Fang, your Substack is by far and away the best money I've spent on this platform - rock on!