HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – About $4.6 million in federal funding was accredited Friday to assist Hawaii change into extra resilient to pure disasters.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency accredited greater than $137 million as a part of the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program.
Funding might be distributed to at the very least 50 initiatives nationwide, together with Hawaii, Nevada, and Guam, to enhance pure disaster response.
Hawaiian electrical grids
Federal funding goals to handle {the electrical} grids on Hawaii Island and Maui. Tens of hundreds skilled energy outages throughout the state through the Kona low storms.
In response, FEMA accredited greater than $3.8 million to fund upgrades to the Energy Management System platform, which is the first assist for the 2 islands’ electrical grids.
The upgrades would allow real-time monitoring and management to triage threats and impacts to {the electrical} grid from pure hazards, in keeping with the Department of Homeland Security.
The upgrades would additionally assist stop potential threats to the group and the setting from defective electrical grid assets.
An further $800,000 was additionally accredited to improve the Hawaiian electrical grid.
The funds would assist the state develop and implement an electrical distribution grid mannequin known as Distribution Digital Twin.
The mannequin would enhance the grid’s resiliency by managing security and reliability dangers, in keeping with division officers.
The goal of the Distribution Digital Twin could be to simplify the early detection of energy high quality points and assist proactive upkeep to forestall gear failures.
It would additionally assist mitigate spark threat in wildfire-prone areas and cut back the danger of energy outages.
Guam and Nevada funding accredited
Nearly $134,000 in federal funding was accredited in Guam to put in a generator and air conditioner on the Adventist Medical Clinic, which works to alleviate stress on the island’s hospitals after a pure disaster.
Nevada was awarded greater than $500,000 after incomes two Hazard Mitigation Grant Program Post Fire awards.
The funding will cowl direct and oblique prices of mitigation initiatives following wildfires.
Copyright 2026 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.
