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HECO to help pay for
buried Kailua lines

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By Leila Fujimori
Star-Bulletin

Hawaiian Electric Company has announced it will pay a third of the cost of burying existing electric lines in downtown Kailua -- the first project to benefit from the utility's new policy to share the costs of putting electric lines underground.

Burying electric lines on Kailua Road is part of a Kailua Vision Team project to beautify the town's streets.

"It's quite a welcome windfall," said Don Bremner, a Vision team member and champion for the project. "We have to really congratulate HECO for changing their policy at this time. It's going to be a great stimulus to beautification around the island."

The City Council will review in February the Kailua Vision team's proposal for burying lines along Kailua Road between Oneawa and Hahani Streets. If approved, the project will probably go out to bid in June, Bremner said.

HECO's contribution will be more than $300,000. The vision team has budgeted $1.85 million over three years for the project.

The co-chairwoman of the Lani-Kailua Outdoor Circle beautification committee called the overhead wires an eyesore.

"They overwhelm the landscape of Kailua town," said Carol Ann Ellett.

Chuck Freedman, HECO vice president for corporate relations, said a number of communities are interested in underground electricity, but cost has been a factor.

"We look forward to partnering with communities like Kailua, which has carefully planned the project and already secured the other two-thirds of the funding," he said.