Hawaiian Electric Industries (HEI) is undergoing significant digital transformation efforts to modernize its vast electric utility infrastructure across the Hawaiian Islands. This involves leveraging advanced grid technologies to build a more resilient and renewable energy system. Hawaiian Electric Industries focuses on integrating smart systems, enhancing grid controls, and deploying new technologies to meet ambitious clean energy goals and strengthen grid defenses.
This transformation creates critical dependencies on robust data analytics, secure communication networks, and reliable system integrations. These dependencies introduce various risks and potential breakdowns, such as data inconsistencies between systems or failures in critical grid components. This page analyzes specific digital transformation initiatives at Hawaiian Electric Industries, highlighting operational challenges and identifying key sales opportunities for technology vendors.
Hawaiian Electric Industries Snapshot
Headquarters: Honolulu, United States
Number of employees: 2,675
Public or private: Public
Business model: B2C
Website: https://www.hawaiianelectric.com/
Hawaiian Electric Industries ICP and Buying Roles
Hawaiian Electric Industries sells to customers within a complex regulatory and operational environment, necessitating solutions that manage large-scale infrastructure and distributed energy resources.
Who drives buying decisions
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Chief Information Officer → Sets enterprise-wide IT vision and approves major technology investments.
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Senior Vice President, Planning and Technology → Oversees planning for renewable energy integration and transmission/distribution systems.
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Vice President, Information Technology and Services → Manages IT services delivery and cybersecurity strategy.
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Director, IT Audit → Evaluates cybersecurity risk across IT systems.
Key Digital Transformation Initiatives at Hawaiian Electric Industries (At a Glance)
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Modernizing Grid Infrastructure: Integrating communications and information technologies to manage electricity production and delivery.
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Deploying Advanced Metering Systems: Installing smart meters to digitally record energy usage and detect outages.
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Integrating Renewable Energy Resources: Incorporating distributed energy resources like solar and battery storage into the grid.
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Hardening Grid Against Wildfires: Deploying technology and upgrading infrastructure to mitigate wildfire risks and severe weather impacts.
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Developing Predictive Grid Analytics: Utilizing data analytics to forecast customer demand and manage distributed resources.
Where Hawaiian Electric Industries’s Digital Transformation Creates Sales Opportunities
| Vendor Type | Where to Sell (DT Initiative + Challenge) | Buyer / Owner | Solution Approach |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grid Management Platforms | Modernizing Grid Infrastructure: older grid components fail to transmit real-time operational data. | Senior Vice President, Planning and Technology, Chief Information Officer | Collect real-time data from grid components and centralize monitoring. |
| Modernizing Grid Infrastructure: system operators lack control over distributed energy resources. | Senior Vice President, Planning and Technology | Establish unified control over all grid-connected assets. | |
| Integrating Renewable Energy Resources: grid stability waivers occur when solar output fluctuates. | Senior Vice President, Planning and Technology, Vice President, Information Technology and Services | Monitor power flow stability and regulate fluctuations from variable sources. | |
| Integrating Renewable Energy Resources: voltage imbalances appear on circuits with high solar penetration. | Senior Vice President, Planning and Technology | Manage voltage levels across grid circuits with advanced tools. | |
| Data & Analytics Platforms | Deploying Advanced Metering Systems: incremental energy usage data remains unanalyzed for customer insights. | Chief Information Officer, Vice President, Information Technology and Services | Process granular energy usage data to identify consumption patterns. |
| Developing Predictive Grid Analytics: disparate data sources prevent comprehensive demand forecasting. | Senior Vice President, Planning and Technology | Consolidate operational data from multiple grid systems for analysis. | |
| Developing Predictive Grid Analytics: historical outage data does not inform proactive maintenance schedules. | Vice President, Information Technology and Services | Analyze past outage events to predict future equipment failures. | |
| Grid Resilience & Security | Hardening Grid Against Wildfires: early detection systems fail to identify fire ignition sources in high-risk areas. | Senior Vice President, Planning and Technology | Deploy AI-enabled cameras to detect anomalies and potential fire hazards. |
| Hardening Grid Against Wildfires: pole and line inspection data remains siloed, delaying critical repairs. | Senior Vice President, Planning and Technology | Centralize asset inspection data to prioritize equipment replacement. | |
| Hardening Grid Against Wildfires: power shutoff decisions lack real-time meteorological data inputs. | Senior Vice President, Planning and Technology | Integrate live weather station data into public safety power shutoff protocols. | |
| Customer Engagement Platforms | Customer Technology Modernization: existing communication channels do not provide real-time outage alerts. | Vice President, Information Technology and Services | Broadcast immediate outage notifications to affected customer segments. |
| Customer Technology Modernization: customers cannot access or share their energy usage data easily. | Vice President, Information Technology and Services | Provide a secure customer portal for accessing and managing energy data. | |
| Customer Technology Modernization: limited tools exist for customers to manage energy consumption and costs effectively. | Vice President, Information Technology and Services | Offer personalized recommendations for energy management based on usage. |
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What makes this Hawaiian Electric Industries’s digital transformation unique
Hawaiian Electric Industries’s digital transformation stands out due to its dual focus on achieving 100% renewable energy and bolstering grid resilience against natural disasters. The company navigates a unique geographical challenge of operating island grids, which complicates renewable energy integration and increases the need for localized resilience solutions like microgrids. This approach prioritizes grid hardening and predictive analytics more heavily than typical utilities, driven by the immediate threats of wildfires and severe weather events. The transformation hinges on a complex interplay of smart grid technologies, advanced inverters, and robust energy storage systems to maintain stability in a rapidly evolving energy landscape.
Hawaiian Electric Industries’s Digital Transformation: Operational Breakdown
DT Initiative 1: Modernizing Grid Infrastructure
What the company is doing
Hawaiian Electric Industries is integrating advanced communication and information technologies across its electric grid to improve how electricity is produced, consumed, stored, and delivered. This initiative enhances grid visibility and control, enabling better management of power flow and distributed energy resources. The company is building out a dynamic, two-way power system between customers and the utility.
Who owns this
- Senior Vice President, Planning and Technology
- Vice President, Information Technology and Services
Where It Fails
- Older grid components fail to provide real-time operational data to central systems.
- System operators cannot remotely adjust power flow during peak demand events.
- Lack of unified communication standards delays data exchange between intelligent power equipment.
Talk track
Noticed Hawaiian Electric Industries is modernizing its grid infrastructure. Been looking at how some utilities are centralizing control over diverse grid assets instead of managing them in silos, happy to share what we’re seeing.
DT Initiative 2: Hardening Grid Against Wildfires
What the company is doing
Hawaiian Electric Industries is investing in a comprehensive wildfire safety strategy, deploying new technologies and upgrading infrastructure to protect its electric grids from severe weather events. This involves installing advanced monitoring systems and fortifying physical assets in high-risk areas. The company aims to reduce wildfire risk by up to 72% by the end of 2027 through grid hardening, operational practices, situational awareness, and stakeholder partnerships.
Who owns this
- Senior Vice President, Planning and Technology
- Chief Information Officer
Where It Fails
- AI-enabled cameras fail to distinguish between false alarms and actual fire threats.
- Automated power shutoff systems trigger without precise wind and temperature data inputs.
- Pole and line replacement schedules do not integrate real-time risk assessment data effectively.
Talk track
Looks like Hawaiian Electric Industries is hardening its grid against wildfire risks. Been seeing how some utilities are embedding real-time meteorological data into their power shutoff protocols instead of relying on broader forecasts, can share what’s working if useful.
DT Initiative 3: Integrating Renewable Energy Resources
What the company is doing
Hawaiian Electric Industries is accelerating the integration of diverse renewable energy sources and Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) into its grid to achieve 100% renewable energy by 2045. This includes incorporating utility-scale solar projects, customer-sited rooftop solar, and developing microgrids. The company is actively procuring large-scale renewable generation and storage projects.
Who owns this
- Senior Vice President, Planning and Technology
- Vice President, Information Technology and Services
Where It Fails
- Grid stability waivers occur when variable renewable energy sources create power fluctuations.
- Advanced inverters fail to maintain stable voltage levels on circuits with high solar penetration.
- Customer-sited energy resources do not communicate effectively with central grid management systems.
Talk track
Noticed Hawaiian Electric Industries is integrating more renewable energy resources. Been looking at how some grids are autonomously regulating voltage to prevent instability instead of relying on manual adjustments, happy to share what we’re seeing.
DT Initiative 4: Customer Technology Modernization
What the company is doing
Hawaiian Electric Industries is enhancing its customer-facing technologies to provide more choices, improve convenience, and empower customers to manage their energy usage. This involves improving service accessibility, providing tools for daily energy usage insights, and expanding options for clean energy technologies. The company is investing in infrastructure that improves the customer service experience across all interaction points.
Who owns this
- Vice President, Information Technology and Services
- Chief Information Officer
Where It Fails
- Customer portals display delayed energy consumption data, reducing user engagement.
- Automated customer support systems fail to resolve complex billing inquiries without human intervention.
- Real-time outage maps do not update quickly, causing customer dissatisfaction during power interruptions.
Talk track
Saw Hawaiian Electric Industries is modernizing its customer technologies. Been looking at how some utilities are providing real-time personalized energy insights instead of generic reports, can share what’s working if useful.
Who Should Target Hawaiian Electric Industries Right Now
This account is relevant for:
- Operational technology (OT) cybersecurity platforms
- Geospatial analytics and risk modeling software
- Distributed energy resource management systems (DERMS)
- Customer experience and self-service platforms
- Grid optimization and control solutions
- Industrial IoT sensor and monitoring providers
Not a fit for:
- Basic IT helpdesk software
- Generic HR management systems
- Standard office productivity suites
- Unaffiliated consumer marketing tools
When Hawaiian Electric Industries Is Worth Prioritizing
Prioritize if:
- You sell solutions that prevent data discrepancies between grid sensors and control systems.
- You sell platforms that integrate real-time meteorological data for critical infrastructure decisions.
- You sell systems that autonomously balance power flow from distributed renewable sources to maintain grid stability.
- You sell tools that provide granular, real-time energy consumption data directly to customers.
- You sell AI-driven solutions that reduce false positives in wildfire detection cameras.
- You sell software that centralizes asset inspection and maintenance scheduling for grid hardening programs.
Deprioritize if:
- Your solution does not address specific grid infrastructure or renewable integration challenges.
- Your product offers only general IT support without operational technology capabilities.
- Your offering focuses on non-utility specific customer relationship management features.
Who Can Sell to Hawaiian Electric Industries Right Now
Grid Orchestration Platforms
Siemens Energy - This company provides integrated energy technology solutions, including grid control systems and automation.
Why they are relevant: Hawaiian Electric Industries needs to manage diverse energy sources and stabilize its grid against fluctuations from renewables. Siemens Energy’s platforms can orchestrate power flow, balancing generation and demand across complex island grids.
GE Grid Solutions - This company offers digital grid solutions for transmission and distribution networks, focusing on asset management and grid modernization.
Why they are relevant: Older grid components in Hawaiian Electric Industries fail to provide adequate operational data or remote control. GE Grid Solutions can integrate smart devices and enhance real-time monitoring and control capabilities across the utility's infrastructure.
Grid Resilience & Predictive Analytics
Senseware - This company provides an Industrial IoT platform that monitors critical infrastructure and environmental conditions in real-time.
Why they are relevant: Hawaiian Electric Industries requires precise, real-time data for wildfire prevention and grid hardening. Senseware's sensors can gather detailed meteorological data and environmental insights, feeding into wildfire risk models and power shutoff protocols.
Evergy (e.g., through their innovation arm) - While a utility, Evergy actively develops and deploys smart grid and resilience technologies that can be adapted.
Why they are relevant: Hawaiian Electric Industries is developing wildfire risk models and needs to prioritize grid hardening investments. Solutions like those developed by Evergy can provide advanced analytics to identify high-risk circuits and evaluate the cost-effectiveness of mitigation options, guiding pole and line replacement efforts.
Distributed Energy Resource Management (DERM) Solutions
Utilidata - This company uses real-time data to optimize grid operations, integrate renewables, and manage distributed energy resources.
Why they are relevant: Hawaiian Electric Industries faces challenges with grid stability and voltage fluctuations from integrating high levels of solar. Utilidata's platform can provide real-time control over distributed resources and optimize voltage management on specific circuits.
Open Access Technology International (OATI) - This company offers energy market and smart grid solutions, including DER management systems.
Why they are relevant: Hawaiian Electric Industries needs to effectively manage customer-sited solar and battery storage. OATI's DERM solutions can ensure these resources communicate with central systems, optimizing their contribution to grid stability and energy supply.
Final Take
Hawaiian Electric Industries is scaling its grid modernization and renewable energy integration efforts significantly. Breakdowns are visible in data collection from aging grid assets, real-time control over distributed resources, and the precision of wildfire mitigation systems. This account is a strong fit for vendors offering specialized operational technology (OT) and data analytics platforms that bolster grid resilience and streamline clean energy integration.
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