EV Use Has Skyrocketed in Hawaiʻi. Why Is It So Hard To Find a Charger?

Hawaiʻi has one of the nation’s highest rates of electric vehicle ownership with about 40,000 cars registered across the islands. Yet as their popularity quickly accelerates, we’re still short on chargers. A snapshot from the U.S. Department of Energy shows just under 1,000 public chargers statewide, up from about 600 in 2019.

Civil Beat.

Lawmakers Are Urged To Act on Clean Energy Cuts

Leah Laramee, coordinator of the Hawai‘i Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Commission, told Sens. Karl Rhoads and Mike Gabbard at the Nov. 3 briefing that it would be incredibly helpful if more local tax credits were made available for renewable energy and climate change impact mitigation projects in the face of federal cutbacks driven by the Trump administration.

Star-Advertiser.

Profit and Debt Will Fund $2B in Hawaiian Electric Ventures

Hawaiian Electric Industries Inc., which owns Hawaiian Electric Co. serving Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi Island, Maui, Molokaʻi and Lāna’i, anticipates investing between $1.75 billion and $2.35 billion from 2026 through 2028 in capital improvement projects funded by retained profits and recently issued debt.

Star-Advertiser.

State Seeks Applicants for Public Utilities Commission

Gov. Josh Green announced that Public Utilities Commission Chair Leodoloff “Leo” Asuncion Jr. will be leaving his post on Nov. 17. Green is currently accepting applications for the Public Utilities Commission. The successor appointed by Green will be subject to confirmation by the state Senate.

Kauaʻi Now.

OHA: Give Native Hawaiians a ‘Meaningful Voice’ in Military Land Negotiations

The Office of Hawaiian Affairs is pushing to take a more active role in negotiations between the Army and governor over military leases. This comes after a contentious OHA meeting last week during which many expressed frustration over reports that Gov. Josh Green proposed a multibillion-dollar investment package in exchange for continued use of these training areas.

Civil Beat.

O‘ahu Headlines

Kamehameha Schools Cashes in on Waikīkī Hotel Land

Kamehameha Schools reported selling the 10.3-acre parcel under the Royal Hawaiian Hotel in Waikīkī for $510 million to Japan-­based commercial real estate firm Daisho Co. The sale closed Thursday.

Star-Advertiser.

Honolulu City Council Approves Pay Raise for Police

On Tuesday, Nov. 4, the Honolulu City Council unanimously approved a new collective bargaining agreement that would grant officers a 27% raise through 2029.

Hawaii News Now.

Community Groups on the Same Side Against Oʻahu North Shore Gondola Project

The Kamananui Agribusiness project wants to attract daily visitors for sight seeing and cultural education on the slopes of Mount Ka‘ala. The property was bought from the Dole Pineapple Company in 2017 and is now managed by Kaukonahua Ranch LLC, which received a conditional use permit in 2019.

Hawai‘i Public Radio.

Ewa HOA Hawaiian Flag Policy Sparks Controversy

A policy in the Ewa by Gentry Community Association says that the current guidelines only permit the display of the American Flag, meaning all others, including the Hawaiian State flag, are not allowed.

KHON2.

Increased Shearwater Fallout on Oʻahu Ahead of Peak Season

Rescue centers are reporting unusually high numbers of disoriented native shearwaters crashing into the ground. The peak fallout season has not started yet, but experts say keeping your lights out could save lives.

KHON2.

Hawai‘i Island Headlines

Rain Helps Firefighters Battle Mana Road Blaze

Firefighters battling a wildfire that started Friday on Mana Road received an assist Sunday from Mother Nature.

Tribune-Herald. Big Island Video News.

Construction on the Keaʻau-Mountain View Public Library Begins This Week

The 13,885-square-foot Keaʻau-Mountain View Public Library is intended to replace the two public libraries serving upper Puna, which are attached to Keaʻau Middle School and Mountain View Elementary School.

Big Island Now.

Lead Contamination at Waiakea Intermediate Raises Concerns, Disrupts Meal Preparations

Cafeteria meals for Waiakea Intermediate School students and staff are being prepared at Waiakea High School after the discovery of lead contamination in water from taps in the intermediate school’s kitchen.

Tribune-Herald.

Maui Headlines

Three People Nominated To Fill Open Seat on Maui County Council

The names of the three nominees are Virgilio “Leo” R. Agcolicol, Kelson Kauanoe Batangan and Carol Lee Kamekona.

Maui News.

Maui Is Deploying Water Tanks Around the Island To Help Fight Fires

Maui is rolling out a new firefighting tool in communities most vulnerable to wildfire. In the past, firefighting helicopters have pulled water from reservoirs, ponds and portable tanks. Now, the state and county are installing roughly a dozen water storage tanks in fire-prone areas.

Civil Beat.

Where Open Land Meets Development, Maui Residents Urged To View Risks Like a Firefighter

Wildfire experts were on Maui last month to train with local firefighters and educate community members about what it takes to battle blazes in the wildland-urban interface, which is the area where homes and open land meet. This was the case in the destructive August 2023 wildfires in Lahaina and Upcountry.

Maui Now.

Kaua‘i Headlines

What a Kauaʻi County Councilmember Witnessed at a Recent Immigration Raid

Raids by the FBI and Homeland Security Investigations were carried out across Kauaʻi last Wednesday. County Councilmember Fern Holland was on the scene at 4 a.m. when law enforcement showed up at one house because she happened to live across the street.

Hawaiʻi Public Radio.

Recognizing Hunger and Homelessness

The County of Kauaʻi, including the County Council, joined “the hardworking advocates focusing on homelessness solutions,” and recognized Nov. 16-22 as National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week.

Garden Island.