Hawaii Faces Lengthy Blackout Risk Amid Power-Plant Outages

The big island of Hawaii is at risk of blackouts through the end of April because several large power plants have broken down or are undergoing maintenance, the state’s main utility operator said.

Hawaiian Electric on Monday asked customers on the island, including resort hotels and big retailers, to reduce or shift their electricity use over the next month as a result of the situation. The largest of the disabled generators, which can meet nearly one-third of the island’s peak demand, is offline for mechanical issues, the utility said.

“Hawaiian Electric is using company-wide resources and working with its independent ...