Hawaiian Electric says it restored power quickly after a run of storms, but West Oahu residents told state regulators their everyday service is still unreliable — bad news for Leeward Coast customers facing a rate hike on top of it.

• The state Public Utilities Commission opened a round of public meetings on Hawaiian Electric's reliability after Kona storms and three hurricanes in six weeks.
• The utility says nearly all West Oahu customers had power back within a day of Hurricane Lowell, and the rest within a day and a half.
• Residents said that misses the point: outages hit constantly even though a power plant sits a mile away, and nobody explains why.
• Hawaiian Electric is also asking regulators to approve a $170 million revenue increase over two years, which locals say will push already high bills past the breaking point.
• Some complained the hearing was held in Kapolei instead of Waianae, where the outages are worst and turnout would have been larger.

Outlook: More hearings are set for the Big Island, with additional sessions on Oahu and in Maui County to follow, and the rate request stays pending while regulators collect public comment.