HAWAIIAN ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES INC
For the period ended Dec 31, 2024. Filed Feb 24, 2025.
View on SEC.govAbout this filing
A company's yearly report to the SEC, with audited financial statements. It is the fullest account a company gives of its business, its finances and the risks it sees.
FY2024 · Filed Feb 24, 2025
Extracted filing text, with the paragraph anchors used by the comparison.
See the whole filing, with its images and exhibitsContents
Item 1. BUSINESS
HEI Consolidated
HEI and subsidiaries and lines of business. HEI is a holding company with its subsidiaries principally engaged in electric utility and non-regulated renewable/sustainable infrastructure businesses operating in the State of Hawaii. As a holding company with no significant operations of its own, HEI’s sources of funds are dividends or other distributions from its operating subsidiaries, borrowings, and sales of equity. The rights of HEI and its creditors and shareholders to participate in any distribution of the assets of any of HEI’s subsidiaries are subject to the prior claims of the creditors and preferred shareholders of such subsidiary, except to the extent that claims of HEI in its capacity as a creditor are recognized as primary. The abilities of certain of HEI’s subsidiaries to pay dividends or make other distributions to HEI are subject to contractual and regulatory restrictions (see Note 15 of the Consolidated Financial Statements). HEI is headquartered in Honolulu, Hawaii and has one reportable segment: Electric utility. HEI and its other subsidiaries which are not reportable segments are grouped and reported as an “All Other” non-reportable segment.
Electric Utility. Hawaiian Electric and its operating utility subsidiaries, Hawaii Electric Light Company, Inc. (Hawaii Electric Light) and Maui Electric Company, Limited (Maui Electric), are regulated electric public utilities that provide essential electric service to approximately 95% of Hawaii’s population through the operation of five separate grids that serve communities on the islands of Oahu, Hawaii, Maui, Lanai and Molokai. See also “Electric utility” section below.
All Other. The All Other non-reportable segment is composed of HEI’s corporate-level operating, general and administrative expenses and the results of Pacific Current, LLC (Pacific Current). Pacific Current was formed in September 2017 to focus on investing in non-regulated clean energy and sustainable infrastructure in the State of Hawaii to help reach the state’s sustainability goals. See also “Electric utility—Hawaii Electric Light firm capacity PPAs” section below and Note 3 of the Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information on Pacific Current activities. The All Other segment also includes ASB Hawaii, Inc. (ASB Hawaii) (a holding company), which previously owned ASB.
Additional information. Prior to December 31, 2024, ASB Hawaii owned ASB, a federally chartered, full-service Hawaii community bank. ASB was a reportable segment of HEI, until its sale on December 31, 2024. For additional information about HEI, see HEI’s MD&A, HEI’s “Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk” and HEI’s Consolidated Financial Statements.
The Company’s website address iswww.hei.com, where annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K and all amendments to those reports (last 10 years) are made available free of charge in the Investor Relations section as soon as reasonably practicable after such material is electronically filed with, or furnished to, the SEC (and available at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov). The information on the Company’s website is not incorporated by reference in this annual report on Form 10-K unless, and except to the extent, specifically incorporated herein by reference. HEI and Hawaiian Electric intend to continue to use HEI’s website as a means of disclosing additional information. Accordingly, investors should routinely monitor such portions of HEI’s website, in addition to following HEI’s and Hawaiian Electric’s press releases, SEC filings and public conference calls and webcasts. Investors may also wish to refer to the PUC website athpuc.my.site.com/cdms/s/ in order to review documents filed with and issued by the PUC. No information at the PUC website is incorporated herein by reference, and the Company has no control over its accuracy or completeness.
Regulation. HEI and Hawaiian Electric are each holding companies within the meaning of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 2005 and implementing regulations, which requires holding companies and their subsidiaries to grant the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) access to books and records relating to FERC’s jurisdictional rates. FERC granted HEI and Hawaiian Electric a waiver from its record retention, accounting and reporting requirements, effective May 2006.
HEI is subject to an agreement entered into with the PUC (the PUC Agreement) which, among other things, requires PUC approval of any change in control of HEI. The PUC Agreement also requires HEI to provide the PUC with periodic financial information and other reports concerning intercompany transactions and other matters. It also prohibits the electric utilities from loaning funds to HEI or its nonutility subsidiaries and from redeeming common stock of the electric utility subsidiaries without PUC approval. Further, the PUC could limit the ability of the electric utility subsidiaries to pay dividends on their common stock. See also Note 15 of the Consolidated Financial Statements and “Electric utility—Regulation” below.
In October 2021, Pacific Current requested informal guidance from the PUC regarding application of the affiliate transaction requirements (ATRs) to certain investments. In response, in January 2022, the PUC issued guidance (Order No. 38186, Docket No. 2018-0065) providing that, if Pacific Current acquires or invests in an unaffiliated entity that has been awarded a power purchase agreement with the Utilities through the Stage 1 or 2 Request for proposals (RFPs), such entity would become an “Affiliate” or “Affiliate-Related Entity” under the ATRs, and any wholesale power transactions between the entity and the Utilities, including under the awarded power purchase agreement, would require PUC review and approval. Such a requirement may impact Pacific Current’s competitiveness in acquiring and investing in new utility-scale projects in the Utilities’ service territory and thereby impact the pace and extent of Pacific Current’s growth. As a result of the D&O, Pacific Current intended to focus its future growth activities on projects not subject to a power purchase agreement with the Utilities or projects outside of the Utilities’ service territory. However, subsequent to the Maui windstorm and wildfires, HEI and Pacific Current have suspended any new investments while undertaking a comprehensive review of strategic options for certain assets of Pacific Current.
On December 30, 2024, HEI, ASB and ASB Hawaii entered into investment agreements to sell 90.1% of the common stock of ASB to various investors, including certain ASB officers and directors of ASB, while retaining 9.9% of the common stock of ASB. The sale transaction closed on December 31, 2024 and no investor, including HEI, retains or owns more than 9.9% of the common stock of ASB. As HEI and ASB Hawaii no longer have a controlling interest in ASB, HEI and ASB Hawaii are in the process of deregistering themselves as “unitary savings and loan holding companies” and upon final deregistration approval, would no longer be subject to applicable federal and state regulation and supervision (including under the Federal Reserve Board and Office of the Comptroller of the Currency).
As part of HEI’s comprehensive review of strategic options for certain assets of Pacific Current, on February 7, 2025, Pacific Current entered into a Securities Purchase Agreement to sell all the membership interests in Hamakua Holdings, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Pacific Current, to an unaffiliated third party for cash consideration to be determined under the provisions of the agreement. Hamakua Holdings, LLC has two wholly-owned subsidiaries: Hamakua Energy, LLC, which owns a 60-MW combined cycle power plant that sells power to Hawaii Electric Light under an existing power purchase agreement, and HAESP, LLC (created in connection with the current on-going Stage 3 RFP process). Upon closing, both Hamakua Energy and HAESP, LLC as wholly-owned subsidiaries of Hamakua Holdings will no longer be owned by Pacific Current. The close of the transaction is subject to the satisfaction of certain customary closing conditions and is expected to be finalized in March 2025. The sale transaction is not expected to have a material impact to the Company’s consolidated financial statements.
Environmental regulation. HEI and its subsidiaries are subject to federal and state statutes and governmental regulations pertaining to water quality, air quality and other environmental factors. See the “Environmental regulation” discussion in the “Electric utility” section below, and Note 1 of the Consolidated Financial Statements.
Human Capital Resources. The Company’s workforce and culture are critical to its ability to achieve its business strategies. As such, the Company seeks to attract, retain and develop a talented workforce and create a high-performing, inclusive and safety-driven culture.
Employees. The Company had total and full-time employees as follows:
| December 31 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | Full-time | Total | Full-time | Total | Full-time | |
| employees | employees | employees | employees | employees | employees | |
| HEI1 | 69 | 69 | 75 | 75 | 79 | 79 |
| Hawaiian Electric and its subsidiaries | 2,533 | 2,518 | 2,654 | 2,564 | 2,605 | 2,511 |
| ASB2 | — | — | 977 | 958 | 1,072 | 1,050 |
| 2,602 | 2,587 | 3,706 | 3,597 | 3,756 | 3,640 | |
1 Includes consolidated Pacific Current employees. For 2024, 2023, and 2022, HEI corporate had 44, 45, and 41 employees, respectively.
2 Beginning December 31, 2024, as a result of the sale transaction, ASB was no longer a subsidiary of HEI.
The employees of HEI and its direct and indirect subsidiaries, other than the electric utilities, are not covered by any collective bargaining agreement. The Utilities target compensation at market rates, and due to the significant increase in competitive market pay for linemen over the past few years, provided an 11.4% market rate adjustment and a 4% annual incentive for linemen effective February 1, 2024. The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 1260 represents roughly half of the Utilities’ workforce covered by a collective bargaining agreement. On January 26, 2024, a new three-year contract was ratified and will be in effect from November 1, 2024 through October 31, 2027. The contract provides for a 3% general wage increase in each year of the three-year contract, double time for callouts, and a 1% incentive payment upon achievement of specified objectives.
Culture of inclusion and belonging. The Company views fostering an inclusive culture – where all employees can thrive and feel they belong – as key to its success. The Company believes such a culture promotes collaboration, trust, engagement, excellence and innovation, in turn enhancing problem-solving and decision-making. The Company believes that a workforce comprised of a diverse array of backgrounds, experiences, skills and perspectives strengthens the Company’s ability to meet the needs of its customers, communities and stakeholders. Operating exclusively in Hawaii, one of the most culturally diverse states in the U.S., the Company also recognizes the importance of having a workforce that understands its customer base, including Hawaii’s unique culture, history and demographics.
Employee development & training. In order to meet the changing demands of the industries in which the Company operates, address the needs of the Company’s stakeholders, attract, engage and retain talented employees, and design and carry out the Company’s strategies, it is crucial for the Company’s workforce to be highly skilled in their areas of focus and be able to adapt and evolve over time. As such, the Company invests in specific skill enhancement training as well as industry and leadership development programs.
Hawaiian Electric offers Hawaiian Electric and HEI holding company employees skills and professional training programs, including leadership development courses, employee development courses, technical training, apprenticeship programs, operational, environmental compliance, cybersecurity awareness and required safety training. Hawaiian Electric also offers tailored leadership development programs, including supervisor training to transition new supervisors to critical operational, administrative, and leadership roles as well as leadership and employee assessments geared to improve productivity and
effectiveness in the workplace. Learning and development initiatives align with individual and organizational performance, and are reinforced in the annual performance evaluation process. Ongoing leadership succession planning ensures the identification and development of successors, high potential individuals, and nurtures a leadership pipeline.
Safety and health. As a core value, the Company strives to create workplace environments that prioritize the physical and emotional well-being of its employees. For the Utility, safety is of paramount importance due to the inherent risks involved in certain aspects of its operations and the critical role the Utility plays in maintaining the electrical grid for the State of Hawaii.
Hawaiian Electric is committed to maintaining a strong safety culture. Due to the intrinsic nature of its operations, safety is part of Hawaiian Electric’s DNA. Management proactively assumes the responsibility of providing visible leadership and strategic direction for the health and safety management system and programs in their area of oversight. This leadership and direction are instrumental to building and sustaining a resilient safety culture and drive continual safety improvement. Allocating adequate resources to enable seamless implementation of safety programs and holding leaders accountable for the implementation of safety programs and resulting health and safety performance are strategic requirements. This commitment is shown in executive compensation, which is tied to the achievement of recordable incidents and lost workdays targets. These targets reward improvements in workplace safety, promote employee well-being, and contribute to long-term expense reductions. Hawaiian Electric promotes a safety culture that aims for zero incidents, with every employee taking ownership of their own safety, as well as that of their co-workers, contractors, and the public. More information on such targets is available in HEI’s annual proxy statement.
Hawaiian Electric is creating a culture of total well-being to support its employees from hire to retire and beyond by instituting best practices and advancing wellness as a business strategy. Some of the programs and benefits that foster employees’ total well-being include emotional, physical, occupational, social, spiritual, intellectual, environmental and financial. These programs include access to an extensive Employee Assistance Program for employees and their family members, participation in various community charity walks, wellness related trainings and resources, onsite mental health support, a wide variety of corporate wellness activities, gym and group fitness discounts, and financial wellness classes.
Workforce Stability. The Company’s employees are its greatest asset and the Company strives to create a highly desirable place to work.
Hawaiian Electric seeks to provide compensation and benefits that are comprehensive, market-competitive, and internally equitable to attract, engage, and retain highly skilled employees. Hawaiian Electric believes that employee engagement is key to creating a desirable, inclusive, rewarding place to work and conducts employee engagement surveys on a regular cycle. Hawaiian Electric is expanding its strategic workforce planning initiative to build its workforce to support future transformation plans.
The text of this filing, as the company filed it with the SEC, without its images or exhibits. This is not investment advice.