07:33 AM EST, 01/14/2025 (MT Newswires) -- Hawaiian Electric Industries ( HE ) said Monday it plans to implement a three-year Wildfire Safety Strategy to "significantly reduce the risk of a wildfire started by its equipment".

The plan includes grid hardening, undergrounding critical power lines, and deploying covered conductors in high-risk areas. Hawaiian Electric said it will enhance inspections, replace and upgrade poles, expand vegetation management, and install additional weather stations and AI-assisted cameras for full coverage of high- and medium-risk areas. Other initiatives involve establishing a wildfire-focused Watch Office, implementing a wildfire risk model for decision-making, and refining the Public Safety Power Shutoff program.

The Wildfire Safety Strategy is expected to cost around $450 million from 2025 to 2027, with $137 million allocated for related work this year.