Basis of presentation

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2015

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]

Basis of presentation

Basis of presentation

The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements have been prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (GAAP) for interim financial information, the instructions to SEC Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by GAAP for complete financial statements. In preparing the financial statements, management is required to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the balance sheet and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses for the period. Actual results could differ significantly from those estimates. The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements and the following notes should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements and the notes thereto in HEI’s and Hawaiian Electric’s Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014.

In the opinion of HEI’s and Hawaiian Electric’s management, the accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements contain all material adjustments required by GAAP to fairly state the Company’s and Hawaiian Electric’s financial position as of March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, the results of its operations and its cash flows for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014. All such adjustments are of a normal recurring nature, unless otherwise disclosed in this Form 10-Q or other referenced material. Results of operations for interim periods are not necessarily indicative of results for the full year.

Prior period financial statements reflect the retrospective application of Accounting Standards Update (ASU) No. 2014-01, “Investments-Equity Method and Joint Ventures (Topic 323): Accounting for Investments in Qualified Affordable Housing Projects,” which was adopted as of January 1, 2015 and did not have a material impact on the Company’s financial condition or results of operations. See “Investments in qualified affordable housing projects” in Note 11.