Maui Electric Co. President Ed Reinhardt says sales, measured in kilowatt hours, are down nearly 10 percent this year, a drop that reflects the decline in tourism.

Maui Electric has been losing 20 customers a month since August, almost all of them in tourism-related businesses that closed their doors.

Statewide, 1.3 percent fewer people visited Hawai'i in April compared to April 2008, and they spent 12.3 percent less.

The utility had been forecasting it would need more power in 2011, but earlier this year it revised that forecast to 2014 because of declining demand.