Follow the money

$25.1 million

Price tag to put HECO’s power lines underground in Kapolei. 

Photo: Screenshot of Hawaiʻi News Now

Hoʻopili Community residents in Kapolei are raising concerns about Hawaiian Electric’s latest power substation, which would host large steel overhead power lines through their community. Amongst the issues of having high voltage power as close as 50 feet from homes is the lack of transparency throughout the process. 

In a recent news story, some homeowners describe how they feel blindsided by the construction. “We were just caught off guard. We weren’t notified at all,” said another homeowner, Russell Tupinio. “It would be nice if they notified us right at the beginning.” 

On Monday evening, D.R Horton and Hawaiian Electric met with residents at the Hoʻopili Community Center. Unfortunately, although HECO said it has temporarily paused construction so it can work with D.R. Horton to address community concerns. The tone from both entities was that this is a done deal and there are little options to change it. Obviously, that isn’t sitting well with the many local working class families who’ve invested in the Hoʻopili Community project. 

At the heart of this issue is really the systemic failures to include communities in a meaningful way. Hoʻopili residents are calling out the bare minimum that was done to outreach residents impacted by energy infrastructure. 

Now the community is calling for D.R Horton to fulfill its promise of keeping power lines underground. “In the master plan, in the environmental impact statements and everything they submitted to the state government, the county government, they showed that it was going to be underground. That’s what was approved,” said homeowner Kaniela Ing.

Time will tell if HECO and D.R Horton listen to the voices of residents to do the right thing.