Posted at 1:19 p.m., Monday, October 16, 2006
Public Utilities Commission to probe power outage
Advertiser Staff
The state Public Utilities Commission has agreed to investigate yesterday's power outage which left all of Oahu and much of the Neighbor Islands without electricity for most of the day, state lawmakers said today.State Sens. J. Kalani English, D-6th (E. Maui, Moloka`i, Lana`i), and Fred Hemmings, R-25th (Kailua, Waimanalo, Hawai'i Kai), said they spoke with PUC officials this morning and that the PUC agreed to conduct an investigation on the blackout and report the state Legislature at the beginning of next session.
Yesterday's power outage occurred after Big Island two earthquakes with magnitudes of 6.7 and 6.0, knocked two HECO generators offline, causing a chain reaction that led to the blackout.
"The people of Hawai'i have a right to know why they were left without electrical power for so long -- and why our power grid is so vulnerable," English said.
