HONOLULU, HI – Power has been fully restored to downtown Honolulu after an outage that impacted multiple state offices and traffic signals. Hawaiian Electric crews worked diligently to repair underground cables and damaged equipment, with power being restored to all customers by 8 p.m.
The outage, affecting about 900 customers in downtown Honolulu, began with an underground cable damage between Bishop and Mililani streets. This led to an overload of power at the Iwilei substation, resulting in a broader outage throughout the area. Sections of the underground cable network, originally built in the 1960s and 1970s, are still in service despite ongoing maintenance efforts.
City officials reminded the public to treat darkened traffic signals as all-way stops, with Honolulu police assisting in directing traffic at major intersections. Several state offices, including the Hawaii State Capitol and state courts, were closed to the public due to the outage.
Hawaiian Electric spokesperson Darren Pai expressed apologies for the inconvenience caused by the outage, acknowledging the impact on businesses and government offices. Repair crews worked tirelessly to restore power, aiming for completion by late afternoon or early evening.
The outage, which began at 10 a.m., disrupted daily operations for many residents and businesses in the downtown Honolulu area. As traffic signals remained out of service, drivers were urged to exercise caution and patience while navigating the affected districts. State offices in impacted buildings were closed until further notice.
While challenges persisted, Hawaiian Electric crews remained committed to resolving the issue and restoring power as quickly and efficiently as possible. By addressing underground cable repairs and damaged equipment, crews successfully managed to bring power back to all customers by the evening, minimizing further disruptions to daily activities in downtown Honolulu.