Frustration boiled over at a community meeting in East Oahu, where years of blackouts have left residents with little patience for the utility's latest reliability promises.

• Falling trees on the transmission lines crossing the Koolau range keep knocking out power to the area.
• Officials say the outages are a safety risk for seniors who rely on oxygen machines and other medical equipment, plus the cost of spoiled food.
• Residents pushed back hard, pointing out the problem has gone unfixed for 20 years.
• Two fixes are on the table: strengthening the existing lines or building a new power connection from town.
• Hawaiian Electric says it is trimming more trees and replacing old equipment, but some lines are so remote they need helicopter crews.

Outlook: Expect more talks with state and city officials, but no quick fix — the long-term options would take years to build.