US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin (L) and US Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas (R) look on as President Joe Biden speaks about the government’s response and recovery efforts in Maui, Hawaii, and the ongoing response to Hurricane Idalia, in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, DC, August 30, 2023.
Saul Loeb AFP | Getty Images
WASHINGTON — The federal government will provide $95 million to support Hawaii’s electric grid following deadly wildfires, President Joe Biden announced Wednesday.
The money “means investments to ensure that electricity continues to reach homes, hospitals and water stations, even during severe storms,” Biden said at a White House event on the recovery. disaster
The funding will also allow the Pacific island state to bury more power lines, replace old power poles and clear overgrown brush around it, Biden said.
The news comes as Hawaii’s main electric utility, Hawaiian Electrichas faced a dozen lawsuits alleging that the company’s practices were partially responsible for the deadly fires, a claim the utility has denied.
The Maui fires earlier this month were the deadliest fires in the US in more than a century, killing at least 115 people and leaving hundreds more missing. The historic town of Lahaina was destroyed, and Moody’s estimates that the wildfires were responsible for up to $6 billion in economic losses.
Fitch, Moody’s and S&P recently downgraded Hawaiian Electric’s credit rating to junk status, including Fitch warning that the company could face more than $3.8 billion in potential liability for the Maui wildfires.
Speaking at the White House, Biden sought to reassure Maui residents that the federal government will be with them throughout the recovery process, noting that $400 million in federal funds have already been set aside to help pay for the recovery. -removal of debris from the island.
Biden visited Hawaii with first lady Jill Biden last week to view the damage and meet with survivors.
“We saw the magnitude of the loss,” Biden said of his recent trip, “and we’re doing everything we can to move heaven and earth to help you recover and get back to your life.”
Biden spoke as Hurricane Idalia roared through Florida and southern Georgia. Idalia made landfall Wednesday morning as a Category 3 storm but has since weakened to a Category 1 storm. As of Wednesday afternoon, at least two people were dead and hundreds of thousands more were left without power.
Biden spoke with the governors of Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina, and pledged the federal government’s support for recovery efforts, the White House said.
