HILO, Hawaii (Island News) — At the Hawaiian Electric (HECO) Hilo Base-yard, a generator known as Hill 5 tripped off line Saturday. Also, the generator in Keahole on Kona’s side, CT5, is undergoing overall maintenance through this month. The Puna steam unit and CT1 are also under repair.
Especially as there has been relatively low wind, all these circumstances added up and Hawaiian Electric implemented rolling blackouts Sunday night on the Big Island. HECO imposes these blackouts to ensure the integrity of the rest of the grid.