Arakawa: Maui County to Explore Buying MECO, Forming Co-op
Big Isle groups are also following Kauai’s lead. The moves come as NextEra’s purchase of Hawaiian Electric is on the PUC docket.
Maui Mayor Alan Arakawa wants to examine the feasibility of making Maui Electric Co. a public utility, the Maui News reports.
MECO is one of three utilities owned by Hawaiian Electric Industries, the other two being HELCO on the Big Island and HECO on Oahu.
Florida-based NextEra Energy is awaiting the Public Utilities Commission’s approval to acquire HEI.
Hawaiian Electric’s Ward Avenue offices.
Cory Lum/Civil Beat
As Sophie Cocke recently reported, Big Island business and community leaders have formed a nonprofit coop called the Hawaii Island Energy Cooperative “to explore taking over Hawaii Electric Light Co.”
The inspiration comes from the Garden Island, where the Kauai Island Utility Cooperative is a not-for-profit “generation, transmission and distribution cooperative owned and controlled by the members it serves.”
KIUC serves more than 32,000 electricity customers on Kauai.
One wonders whether NextEra Energy thinks about the moves to get out from under its possible control.
