Very good series, Eric.  

Robbie Alm is correct that we only build infrastructure once.  Hawaii continues to live in its past.  We certainly have a growing population and limited resources (islands' state) that come at a high cost for a service network such as HECO and consumers.  The monopoly of old as it relates to our electrical needs is no longer relevant.  Having any large company come to bolster HECO and a stronger monopoly is not the model for today and our future.  Neither is more outside competition that brings more residents and is a strain to all infrastructures (housing, health, environment, law enforcement, etc.).  As a state we need to do less importing of outside resources (fuel and conglomerates) and develop more self sustaining structures of energy (solar,etc.) and invest in our people (education).  Hawaii's people have become pawns to power brokers (tourism, rail unions, super pacs) that are deep threats to a sustainable island lifestyle (not homeless).