Hawaiian Electric customers across five islands will get a series of chances beginning Tuesday, Sept. 22, to weigh in on a proposed two-stage rate reset that could add about $11 to $15 to a typical residential monthly bill once fully implemented. The Hawaiʻi Public Utilities Commission’s hearing notice says no decision has been made.
The utilities are asking regulators to approve approximately $170 million in additional annual revenue, a 5.3% increase over revenue at current effective rates. Under the proposal, about $125 million would take effect Jan. 1, 2027, followed by another $45 million on Jan. 1, 2028. The requested increases differ by operating company: 4.9% for Oʻahu, 5.8% for Hawaiʻi Island and 6.4% for Maui County.
For a typical residential customer, the utilities estimate the two phases together would raise monthly bills by about $11 on Oʻahu, $15 on Hawaiʻi Island, $14 on Maui and $11 on both Molokaʻi and Lānaʻi. Those are estimates rather than approved charges, and actual customer bills would still vary with electricity use and other bill components.
Where and when residents can testify
The first hearing is scheduled for 6 p.m. Sept. 22 at Hawaiʻi Community College’s Pālamanui campus in Kona, followed by a 6 p.m. Sept. 24 hearing at Hawaiʻi Community College in Hilo. Hearings then move to Maui at 6 p.m. Sept. 29, Lānaʻi at 5:30 p.m. Sept. 30 and Molokaʻi at 5:30 p.m. Oct. 1. The Oʻahu hearing is set for 6 p.m. Oct. 2 at the PUC hearing room in Honolulu and will also allow participation by WebEx, according to the state’s Sept. 11 announcement.
Residents may give oral comments at a hearing or submit written comments while the proceeding remains open. Written submissions should identify Docket No. 2026-0162 and can be filed through the commission’s online comment form, by email or by mail. The Oʻahu online option is open to customers from any island, including people unable to attend a neighbor-island hearing.
What the utility says is driving the request
Hawaiian Electric says the reset is intended to account for costs that are not fully reflected in current base rates. Its March explanation of the proposal attributes $83 million to the gap between actual and previously forecast inflation, $45 million to depreciation changes tied to steam-generating units and $47 million to expenses that increased faster than inflation, especially insurance. A $5 million downward adjustment would moderate the total request.
The company operates under performance-based regulation, which sets and adjusts utility revenue over a multiyear period instead of relying on the earlier three-year rate-case cycle. Hawaiian Electric says the proposed reset would leave rates fixed until 2032 except for an inflation adjustment. The PUC, however, must independently review the request and public input before deciding whether any increase should be approved.
The practical deadline is therefore not a rate-change date but the hearing window. Customers who want their household or business experience entered into the record should use the commission’s schedule and comment instructions now, before regulators complete their review.
