(Reuters) – Hawaiian Electric Industries Inc said on Friday it is among defendants who have agreed to pay $4 billion to settle lawsuits related to deadly wildfires on Maui.
The island’s utility and its parent company, Hawaiian Electric, are responsible for paying $1.99 billion of the pre-tax amount, which includes $75 million previously donated to the One Ohana initiative.
Settlement payments will begin after court approval and are expected to be made starting in mid-2025, Hawaiian Electric said in a statement.
Hawaiian Electric and defendants including county officials are facing lawsuits over fires that swept through Maui last year, killing at least 100 people, destroying thousands of properties and causing an estimated $5 billion in damage.
The lawsuits alleged that the company failed to cut power lines despite warnings that high winds could uproot them and spark wildfires.